350 Prospect Street Belmont, MA 02478
Volume 69, Issue 4
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October 22, 2020
A Student Publication of the Belmont Hill School
NOVEMBER 3RD LOOMS Belmont Hill School Prepares for a Pivotal, Polarized Presidential Election By Sreetej Digumarthi ’21 and Charlie Wells W ’21 P Panel Staff
The effects ff of the November 3rd, 2020 election can already be felt on campus.
Google Images, BH Communications
For the first time in two years, Americans nationwide will be flocking to the polls to choose their representatives in the federal government. Millions of ballots have already been cast through early voting and mail-in voting in the election, which will determine the balance of power in the Senate and the White House and have a huge impact on the future direction of the country. In Massachusetts, voters will have the opportunity to choose between incumbent Senator Ed Markey and Republican challenger Kevin O’ Connor for the Senate and between incumbent President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence and Democratic challengers Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris for the White House. In such a polarized political climate, it is imperative that we respect and listen to all opinions on campus, regardless of whether or not they are the same as ours. The Panell hopes to foster and encourage discussion across the entire political spectrum as we approach such a monumental time in our country’s history. ☐
Looking Back at the President Timmy McCormack ’21 Addresses BH Community mates to win championships. Like the Bulls, murdered this summer. He noted that we By Tyler T Forg ’21 2016 Mock Election Timmy emphasized, we need to rely on one have to work together in this fight to make P Panel Staff By Daniel Bittner ’22 P Panel Staff Over the past few decades, Belmont Hill has continued a tradition of facilitating a “mock” election every four years at the same time as the presidential election. During these elections, a polling location is created, typically in a large communal space such as the Form II study hall, in which voting booths are set up. Throughout the day, students and faculty are encouraged to enter the polling location, receive their “ballots”, and select their preferred presidential candidate, Senator, Representative in the House, and choices on the Massachusetts Ballot Questions. In addition, these ballots typically consist of polling questions which ask voters to identify matters such as the main reason for choosing their candidate, their level of approval for the incumbent president, and the way in which they identify politically. After these individuals have “cast their ballots”, the election results are tallied, and the results are announced to the school in the subsequent days. Although not required to participate, students typically enjoy this tradition, eager to participate and arriving in large numbers. Continued on Page 2
All-School President Timmy McCor-mack ’21 had the opportunity to be the firstt to give his presidential speech in the newlyy renovated chapel. Unlike past years wheree students packed the chapel, Timmy stood d only in front of a handful of teachers and d Form VI students. Nevertheless, he spokee with the same kind of clarity and asser-tiveness that his predecessors spoke with.. To open his speech, he explained d how the little things that occur at Belmontt Hill are what make the school joyful. Hee gave the example of his amusing Form m I soccer experience with Mr. Murphy, where Mr. Murphy misheard Timmy and gave him the nickname “Potty Mouth.” Hee continued by noting that these moments,, like Luke Bobo and Cam Reirden con-verting a fourth and fifteen, are what willl define our Belmont Hill experience and d will be the discussion of future reunions.. Following this discussion, Timmyy used an apt metaphor comparing the Mi-chael Jordan documentary titled The Lastt Dance to the Belmont Hill community.. He explained how even Jordan, “the sec-ond-best player of all time” (not sure aboutt this one Timmy), had to rely on his team--
Look Inside The Panel
Opinions 3 Debate of the Issue
News 2 Club Offerings ff The Panell recognizes the wide variety of extracurricular activities available to Belmont Hill students this fall.
Opinions 3-5 Political Opinions Belmont Hill students offer ff their opinions on political issues ranging from police reform to the winners of the debates.
another and be creative startnew clubs and projects to make the school better. Timmy then called out the Belmont Hill community to be better allies and be more inclusive. He described the community’s frustration when the school remained silent when George Floyd was
Adam Alto ’21 and Henry Moses ’21 debate a question on everyone’s minds: trick or treat?
Sports 6 Athlete of the Issue: Ikenna Ugbaja ’21 Ikenna Ugbaja ’21, captain of the varsity football team, is recognized for his athletic achievements and is The Panel’s Athlete of the Issue.
possibly can be. i n g Belmont Hill as inclusive as it p As Timmy finished his sp peech, many students and faculty stared at th heir respective Prometheans in awe. In particular, Headmaster Schneider commeended Timmy’s speech: “Timmy did a mastterful job of blending elements of humorr, reflection, and leadership. He reeminded us of the things that reallly matter at Belmont Hill. Even though he had to wait an extra week w before delivering the speech h, I thought he set the tone for a spectacullar year on campus.” It is without a doubt that the Belmont Hilll communityy will face man ny challenges throughout this scho ool year, butt in Timmy’’s hands, the school is destined for greatness. ☐ grea Abe Tolkoff ff ’21 Arts 7 Playlist of the Issue Jalen Walker ’21 and Henry Moses ’21 write about five of their favorite songs for the October Playlist of the Issue.
B elmon t Hill News
Pag e 2
2020
Census
Faces
T h e Panel
Unprecendented
Challenges
tives and electoral college apportionments hampered their efforts ff to make sure everywill be much more significant for national one is counted properly by going door to politics over the next decade. Both parties door. The mandatory quarantines and und to The first census in the United States have much to lose to accidental miscounts willingness of many to open their doors deliberate gerrymander- a stranger has led the bureau to utilize was conducted in 1790 just two years after o r internet-based and mailin forms the ratification of the Constitution which which tend to bee less acmandated the decennial headcount. The curate at c o u nt i ng count was considered a major undertakt h a n ing at the time as communication and transportation were limited by the speed door-kn nocking of a horse or ship. The Founding Fathers bureau eemployincluded the census as primarily a way to ees. Addiitionally, apportion federal tax money, House of many demoRepresentatives seats, and electoral colgraphics have lege votes to each of the states; however, reduced interrnet acits role has grown with new questions to i n g , cess meaning th hey may collect statistical data on the population of so the US b drastically underbe the US, which is justified by the necessary Census Bureau’s ff will be more closerepresented during and proper clause and Morales v. Daley. efforts this next census. It is 2020 and again it is time for the de- ly scrutinized than ever before. A major There was a cennial census. This census in particular has US Population Density Map census.gov major controversy garnered much controversy and attention challenge for the with the growing divide between Democrats Census Bureau has been the onset of the with the addition of a citizenship question and Republicans. The House of Representa- Covid-19 pandemic which has seriously on the census as it could theoretically be
used by federal agents to identify and deport undocumented immigrants to the US. This would mean those immigrants would be less likely to be willing to fill out a census survey ending with a drastic undercount. The usage of such data to arrest and deport immigrants could also be interpreted as a violation of the Fourth Amendment. I doubt even the Morales v. Daley precedent in 2000 ruling that the questions that year were not a violation of a citizen’s right to privacy would protect the Census Bureau. The US Census Bureau has tried its best over the past months to make sure every American is counted for the next apportionment of federal funding, House of Representatives seats, and electoral college votes even with the setback of Covid-19. With the official counting ending soon, hopefully everyone reading this has already made sure they were represented in the 2020 census. The official results are planned to be released on December 31, and we will see how the US demographics have changed by then. ☐
By Howard Huang ’22 P Panel Staff
Extracurriculars Begin Anew in a Virtual Model By Austin Curtis ’23 and Jason Wong W ’23 P Panel Staff Remember when you used to be able to meet with your friends after school in clubs? Clubs are officially back for fall 2020! Although most of the clubs are now held online instead of gathering together after school, they will remain as a means for you to explore your personal interests and opportunities to meet with your friends. Before we get into the detailed off ferings we have for clubs, BIG shoutout to Mr. Bradley for putting on such a diverse and plenteous list of clubs! Those clubs off fer us mental breaks from the high pressure study environment and special circumstances especially during the pandemic. This year’s offerings ff are very diverse, from sports card trading club with Mr. Bracken to Chinese cooking club with Mr. Shen:
The sports card trading club is a new podcasts should give them a try. club this year aiming to offer ff students who As always, we have language clubs are interessted in sports for all languages taaught here, cards a place p to disincluding the Classiccs Club, the cuss and trading cards. Spanish Club and the The Chinese French Club. They offer ff nch cooking students with strong and Fren clubs tookk advantage of interest in language Zoom m meetings, when extra opportunities the studen nts all have acto further theirr endeavor cess to their own kitchen. in those languages. The PodiIIf you are um and The Paninterested in el are respeectiveScience or ly biannuaal and Math, we monthly publihavve a numcations. SStuber of options dents wh ho for you; inare interesttclud ding the ed in writSTEM M club ing articlles or with Mrs. M SweeChris Brusie ’23 ney, making online Sustain-
2016 Mock Election cont. By Daniel Bittner ’22 P Panel Staff
Continued from the Front Page. In preparation for this “mock election”, below are some reminders about how the Belmont Hill community voted in 2016. During the 2016 mock election, a total of 403 faculty and students cast their ballots, a large majority of the Belmont Hill community. In the presidential election, the Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton defeated runner up Republican Donald Trump by a margin of 213 votes (53%) to 123 votes (30%). Additionally, a combined 17% of the community voted for Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson (56 votes, 14%) and Green Party candidate Jill Stein (11 votes, 3%). A breakdown of these statistics revealed that the then Form IV represented the majority of voters, followed in order by Form V, Form III, Form II, Form VI, and Form I. While the faculty almost unanimously voted for Hillary Clinton, the breakdown of student presidential preferences was less defined, with Hillary Clinton narrowly winning in every form except Form IV, in which Donald Trump won over runner up Gary Johnson by a margin of 3 votes. While the Massachusetts Ballot Questions are different ff this year than in 2016, below are the results for the 2016 questions. 2016 Question 1, asking “Should Massachusetts approve new slots parlors?”, was not approved by a margin of 269 no votes (65.6%) to 141 yes votes (34.4%). Question 2, proposing, “Should Massachusetts lift the charter school cap?”, was
approved by a narrow margin of 212 yes votes (51.8%) to 197 no votes (48.2%). Question 3, asking, “Should Massachusetts improve farm animal confines?”, was approved by a large margin of 298 yes votes (72.3%) to 144 no votes (27.7%). Finally, Question 4, proposing “Should Massachusetts legalize marijuana?” was decided by only one vote, being approved with 206 yes votes (50.1%) over 205 no votes (49.9%). Finally, in the polling questions, 67.3% of the Belmont Hill community responded that they approved of Barack Obama’s handling of the presidency, in contrast to the 32.7% who replied that they disapproved of it. When asked to identify what they believed to be the most important issue facing the country, the most frequent response was the economy (28.6%), followed in order by terrorism (19.4%), individuals stating that they were unsure (10.3%), energy and the environment (9.8%), education (6.6%), and Iraq and Syria (5.5%). Less frequent replies included immigration, healthcare, budget deficit, and “other”. Lastly, when asked to specify which party they identified with, the majority of the community responded that they were an independent (33.4%), followed by Democrat (28.8%), Republican (28.3%), and those who were “unsure” (9.5%). Although only the current Fifth and Sixth Formers as well as some faculty and staff ff voted in the last mock election, it will be interesting to witness how the Belmont Hill community’s political views have either remained the same or shifted over the past four years and how our 2020 results will compare. ☐
Copy Editor
ability Club, Maker’s Club and Quiz Bowl both with Mr. Choi. Those offer ff ings help students build a stronger background in the science and math field. For eloquent students who are interested in participating in discussions and debates, we have the debate club with Dr. Tift and Model UN with Ms. Zener. Those clubs offer ff practices in the expression of ideas and formulation of arguments. For other clubs, you can check out the list of offerings. ff Ultimately, the clubs at Belmont Hill this year are all about what you want from it. The purpose of all of the clubs is to offer ff students a possibility to further extend their interests in a certain field outside their classrooms. In the end offering ff a holistic experience for all students with diverse backgrounds and interests. If you have any questions regarding the clubs or you want to start your own club, you can contact Mr. Bradley to get more information. ☐
Editors-In-Chief
Alex Lo ’23
Sreetej Digumarthi ’21 Abe Tolkoff ff ’21
Online Editor
Executive Editor
Howard Huang ’22
Charlie Wells ’21
F Faculty Advisors David Hegarty Juliette Zener
News Editor Henry Moses ’21
Digital Media Editor Luke Hogan ’22
Arts Editor Tyler Forg ’21
Sports Editor Daniel Bittner ’22
Graphics Editor Kevin Jiang ’22
Assistant Editors Luke Wagner ’22 Lawrence Tang ’22 Daniel Xie ’24 Drew Dummer ’22 Alex Sousa ’22 RC Keomurjian ’22 Mac Bobo ’23 David Cho ’23 Cooper Nelson ’23 Jason Wong ’23
Opinion Editor Sammy Jomaa ’21
Photo Editor Jalen Walker ’21
Back Page P Editors Paul Vander Vort ’21 Justin Pare ’21 Adam Alto ’21
The Panel, founded in 1953, is the official school newspaper of the Belmont Hill and Winsor schools. The Panel is the voice of the student body. We publish articles that are of consequence to the students, as well as the school communities. The views expressed in The Panell belong solely to the authors and editors and do not necessarily represent the student body, faculty or administration of either school. Any comment about the content should be addressed directly to the editors. The Panell encourages responsible opinion in the form of Letters to the Editor. We reserve the right to edit all submissions for length and content. Copyright © 2020 The Panel. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without prior written permission of the Editor-in-Chief. Published by the Belmont Printing Co., Belmont, MA 02478.
O c tob er 22, 2 0 2 0
B elmon t HIll OPINI ON S
Pa g e 3
Halloween Debate of the Issue: Trick or Treat?
Every year on October 31st, children all over the world repeatedly utter the same three words: “trick or treat.” The “or” in this phrase implies that there is some sort of option to chose. Adam Alto ’21 and Henry Moses ’21 take sides in this important discussion.
Team Trick By Adam Alto ’21 P Panel Staff There’s nothing better than a good old Halloween prank. If your chiildhood didn’t include hiding in bushes and scaring little kids or being a scared little kiid yourself, you had an incomplete childho ood and you should go find a bush this Hallloween. We have lost our way as a socieety. Halloween is about fright, about scaringg people (primarily little kids). I look around today and I see countless cheap and path hetically non-intimidating costumes, all flimsy guises used by the youth to get g their fix of sugar. When I go out on o Halloween night, it is in search of my m fix of adrenaline. Yes, I do still go ou ut on Halloween night; tricks are for peop ple of all ages, but treats are outgrown by the tim me high school rolls around. I still enjoy Hallloween as it was meant to be enjoyed; the llook of fear in somebody’s eyes as they op pen the door to a flaming bag of dog poop n nourishes me more than any piece of candyy could. It might sound counterintuittive, but tricks and treats are not mutually exxclusive. In fact, some of the most classic prranks in the book reward the prankster with massive amounts of treats -- far more than n could be acquired by simply going around with disappointing clothing and blackmailing innocent people out of their candy. For example, whenever I see a bowl sitting out on
Is
National
This is the second opinion in a two-part series that began in the September 2020 issue. By Abe Tolkoff T ’21 P Panel Staff
As our nation shifts its collective focus towards the upcoming presidential election, issues of police reform and violent protests have slipped from the forefront of the national conversation. The summer of 2020 saw two attempts at a national level to achieve “police reform,” one proposal by House Democrats and one by Senate Republicans. It’s worth considering the two definitions of the word “reform” (see Merriam Webster): 1) “to put or change into an improved form or condition,” and 2) “to put an end to an evil by enforcing or introducing a better method or course of action.” While both focus on creating a better condition, the second acknowledges the brokenness of the current system. This begs the first of two vital questions concerning the push for “police reform:” Is our current system of policing broken? Many Americans would answer that question with an emphatic ”yes, beyond any reasonable doubt!” Others, however, would point to “good cops” and positive examples of police encounters. They might make a distinction between the few “bad cops” or “bad apples” and the majority of “good cops.” So which is it? Do we have a system that simply does not work or are there some cracks in the mold which must be filled? The answer lies in the history of police reform in the United States. Police reform has taken many forms over the past century, from President Hoover’s Wickersham Commission in 1929 to the present day. Across political lines, it is widely accepted that there are inherent flaws with our nation’s system of policing, whether or not individual officers are “good people.” “For too long, police have been
Team Treat
the stairs, I open my extra large pillow case By Henry Moses ’21 up wide, ignoring the “please take one” sign P Panel Staff and end up scoring more candy on a sin single house than most six-year-olds get in the There is a unwritten social conwhole night. This method is certainly dirty, tract when it comes to going out on but that is the point of a trick; somebody Halloween night, and even though must lose! Asking for a treat is almost more the phrase “trick or treat” is used reunderhanded, for you are parading around peatedly, there is realin a disguise with the hidden goal of amassly only one option ing candy. At least your intentions are clear with a trick, for goodness sake.
Luke Trevisan ’24 I urge you to choose to trick on October 31st; we must make the holiday live up to its reputation and bring terror to the streets again. For anybody who wants to pull a prank this Halloween, contact me; I will be sitting on the top floor of my house with a large number of water balloons; there will definitely be enough for everybody. And, if you have the audacity to pick treat over trick this Halloween, prepare to get soaked! ☐
Police
that falls in line with said social contract, and that is the “treat” option. When mulling over the options, one must consider who will be affected by your choice. If you choose a trick, you re not only harming the often inyou’re in nocent victim of your trick, but you’re also harming the people who witness your trick, who are likely young children. These young’uns will see your
Reform
mischief and then think that behavior is acceptable because someone older is doing it. Now let us turn to the innocent victim m, someone who simply wants to give yo ou candy, who expects to give you candy,, (which, after all, is normal for Hallow ween). They have likely prepared for peeople like you to come to their house and ask for candy, and when you subverrt their expectations, you betrayy them. Yes, the debate between trick or treat b boils down to this: betrayal. Everybody aaround you expects you to ask for a treatt and when you don’t, you betrayy the co ontract you tacitly signed on to when you left the house on Halloween night. While I’ll be the first to say that generaally going against the status quo is to be encouraged, e Halloween is simplyy not th he place for that. Read the room. When you forgo the option to W play a trick on someone, it’s not like you’re going to leave empty-handed: in fac t, you’ll be rewarded with candy. Th hat sounds pretty good to me. The u urge to choose tricks should be quelle d by the natural urge for more candy.. If the moral qualms tied to playing a ttrick aren’t enough for you, then act ou out of your own, sweet-toothed self-interest. The choice is clear: ditch the option to play tricks and instead be rewarded with both a clear moral conscience and handful of candy. ☐
Destined
used and invested in as a catch-all for Minneapolis, a city renowned for its rea range of issues” begins a Philadelphia cent implementation of additional offiInquirer article contributor. As our na- cer training and other “reforms,” Derek tion contends with social issues, police Chauvin, George Floyd’s indicted killofficers have been relied upon to pick up er, was not fired. Even after seventeen where social services fail. Nationwide, misconduct reports, he remained on only about 1% of calls for service (911 the force as a distinguished officer. This calls that necesitate police response) are is not just one “bad apple” that resulted for violent crime. One phrase that has in the murder of Floyd. The problem is permeated progressive conversation Chauvin’s bosses, his supervisors, his around police reform is “defund the po- fellow officers, his partners… the enlice.” But what does this actually mean? tire department allowed the incident to According to the Brookings Institution, happen, perhaps not in that exact mo“‘Defund the police’ means reallocating ment, but in the years leading up to it. or redirecting funding away from the While police brass, especially in larger police department to other government cities or more prominent departments a ge n c i e s h o l d funded considerby the able sway l o c a l over ofmunicif i c e r ’s p a l i t y… conduc t, Defund police does not unions m e a n are even a b o l m o r e ish popowerl i c i n g .” ful. AcWhile I cording do not to the s u g g e s t A scene from a NYC Protest in June 2020 US BuAssociated Press that one reau of policy based on three simple words is Labor Statistics, in 2019 only 10.3% the solution to a national crisis, it is a of workers across the country belong start. Defunding the police means be- to unions. In law enforcement howgin to invest further in mental health ever, this percentage is significantly services, drug addiction rehabilitation, higher. Between 75 and 80% of sworn social workers, affordable housing, and officers belong to unions according more civil services. The most basic to Wikipedia. What accounts for this tenet of this is that police officers are significant disparity is the power of meant to keep the peace and protect police unions in negotiating contracts the rights of citizens, they should not and securing non-financial incentives. be expected to mimic the responsibilWhile most labor unions focus ities of highly trained medical profes- on workplace rights and salary, posionals or experienced social workers. lice unions often negotiate for legal So what does all of this mean in representation in prosecution, details the context of national police reform? surrounding making a statement after The answer is simple, history has charges of wrongdoing, restrictions on shown that reform does not work. In releasing footage or officer photos, and
to
Fail?
time for officers to huddle before officially reporting their individual stories according to a June 2020 NPR podcast. In this same podcast, University of Victoria economist and long time police data researcher Rob Gillezeau revealed the findings of his upcoming study. After joining police unions, there was an average increase of 0.026-0.029 civilians killed in each county per year, predominately African Americans. This number is roughly 10% of the 1000 total people killed by police each year. At the same time, unionizing does not decrease the likelihood of officers killed in the line of duty nor improve crime statistics. Often states and municipalities that are stripped for money will arrange for lower funding for the police while allowing unions to stipulate their own concessions. What has resulted is centralization of power in law enforcement within the construct of the police union. Even when departments fire “bad cops,” unions frequently negotiate their return to duty. And even in cities that employ “progressive” reforms, problems persist. We as a nation need to create a system of law enforcement that works for every single citizen, no matter their age, race, nationality, gender, or sexual orientation. We need to create a system that protects everyone, because at the end of the day, there exists both a constitutional and moral mandate to do so. In the eyes of the law, a guilty person has no more right to be killed than an innocent person as everyone is guaranteed the right to a free and fair trial. All too often, that trial occurs in the seconds before a gun is shot or a knee is placed. The solution to policing does already exist in our nation, and it looks very similar to suburban police departments in majority white towns. The question at hand is how our society can extend that level of care and comfort to all, and I have confidence that we can. ☐
B elmon t Hill Opini on s
Pag e 4
Grand
Canyon
Rafting:
Trip
of
T h e Panel
a
Lifetime?
and hit the river around 9 am until we arrived at our next campsite around 4, it was non-stop thrill and adventure. Major rapids were encountered every day with huge If someone gave you the chance waves, capable of drenching every part of to pack up clothes in a dry bag no larger the boat. The three largest: Hermit, Chrystal, than a backpack, live on a 37-foot long raft and Lava Falls sent wave after wave of water with no connection to the outside world, into the boat as we rocked through in 110-degree weather for an entire the chaotic waters. The fun in the week, would you say yes? Would you canyon didn’t stop there. We found chase adventure running white-wamultiple cliff ff jumping points along ter rapids all day, sleeping under the the river, as well as many hikes. These stars at night, cliff ff jumping, hiking, hikes in smaller, side canyons would all in one place? If so, then white-watake us to hidden gems such as Elves ter rafting down the Grand CanChasm and Deer Creek Falls, which yon should be on your bucket list. we would not have seen from the This past summer, my extendriver. Here we could swim in the coled family and I had the courage to say orful pools, soak up the sun, or feast yes and we headed from separate coron the many snacks that Ana and ners of the United States to Las Vegas Den would bring along with them. where our trip started. Friday mornThe week sadly came to a ing, we boarded a coach bus, and left close, but the memories that I our hotel at 4 am to beat the rush to Ben’s Raft (left), Elves’ Chasm (center), Deer Creek Falls (right) Ben Kuechle ’23 made will be unforgettable. This Lees Ferry. With a 5-hour ride through rural Nevada, Arizona, and southern Utah, guides would select that evening’s camp- the canyon reached 110 every day and had trip blew my expectations out of the wawe soaked up our last drops of screen time, site. Forming a human chain, we unloaded hot, dry, “oven winds” at night, we would ter and there was never a dull moment. before losing cell service. Arriving at Lees clothes, cots, kitchen, and food, before we dunk in the 50-degree river water to cool For anyone that has any interest in visff to find the best spot to sleep down before getting a quick night of sleep. iting the Grand Canyon, take the risk as Ferry, Mile 0, around 10 am, we met our kids ran off From the time we packed up the camp I did, and experience it from below. ☐ guides, Ana and Den, and loaded up our for the night. After laying down a tarp, and By Ben Kuechle K ’23 P Panel Staff
How
Does
belongings onto “Matkatamiba,” the motor-powered raft that would be home for the next seven days. We started our journey just before 11, with 270 miles before us, the entire span of the Grand Canyon. For the next week, we experienced something spectacular. Every afternoon our
Fall
Student
teachers could improve the student opinion on the workload, one student answered, “if we had time to meet with teachers throughHomework and projects are one out the day like an X block built into the of the most important components of a day it would be much easier to complete g at night g because I well-rounded education program, and Bel- homework assignments mont Hill assigns students work the same as any other school. Although students should be spending hours outside of school studying, they also need time to rest, relax, and pursue other interests like sports and hobbies. Schools and teachers ought to balance quality of learning with assigning students work. For the October Issue, The Panel surveyed 100 students of all forms about their experience with the workload. The majority of students think that there is too much homework (48% with 30% neutral), and that it’s causing them stress (54% with 22% neutral). Many respondents suggested that lowering the amount wouldn’t be as lost on how to complete the of homework while increasing its relation assignment and have to stay up late comto the knowledge learned in class would ac- pleting it.” One tangible change the school tually increase the quality of learning while could make would be increasing the amount reducingg stress levels. When asked how of student-teacher meeting times through By Howard Huang ’22 P Panel Staff
setting up our cots and bedding, we “showered” in the river, while the guides were hard at work preparing dinner. We ate in a circle, sharing family stories and learning from the guides about life inside the canyon. Aff ter sundown, we played cards or listened to Den play a few songs on the guitar. Because
Workload
additional virtual x-blocks for homework help. Another student suggests that much of the homework is busywork rather than learning: “[Teachers should] give work that feels more productive rather than work for the sake of work.” Overall though, g most of
the comments implied that giving class time to work on or to go over the next night’s homework would decrease the workload. When asked the amount of time per day that students are spending outside of
Compare?
class doing homework or projects, 15% replied 4-6 hours, 58% replied 2-4 hours, and 27% replied 0-2 hours. This result both demonstrates the wide disparity between different ff students and the large amount of time certain students are spending on homework. According to most learning information sources, high school students should be spending 3-4 hours a night on homework on average; meaning certain students are either not understanding the material well enough or are being assigned too much homework. When asked how much time ought to be spent on homework, the respondents got a little greedy and 65% said 0-2 hours of homework per night -- clearly not enough to learn effectively. ff Surprisingly, there was a general consensus that the onset of covid-19 and hybrid learning has not increased the student workload at all. In fact, some say that the workload has decreased because teachers are giving the same amount of homework per meeting when there are fewer weekly class meetings. ☐
Climate Change Effects ff Will Be Felt Nationwide and the lightning strikes and the dryness of would be released by the combustion of the By Sreetej Digumarthi ’21 and Charlie the vegetation affected ff by global warming? entire fossil fuel reservoir, and the effects ff W Wells ’21 Absolutely yes. Were they made significant- were catastrophic for marine life. Over the P Panel Staff ly hotter, more numerous, and drier because course of 10,000 years, every animal with a g Yes,, likelyy yyes,, and yes. y ” shell literallyy dissolved,, as the concentraClimate Change has been described of gglobal warming? It should be clear by y now w that th at we ti tion on of ca calc lcciu ium m ca c rbonate in the ocean rapas the greatest challenge humanity has ever must take acti tion ti i f onl l y t o i id d dl l y d e ec reased d . We W e can already see the faced, but to the average person, it can off save ourocean acidification occurten seem insignificant. How bad could a 5 s e l v e s . ring today: degree Fahrenheit increase in average global At least temperature really be that bad? For us living H o w e v e r , in New England, it may even seem a good thing. According to the New York Times, there two57% of Americans do not believe that cli- a r e mu c h thirds mate change will personally harm them. But of the the reality is that climate change will harm greater s t a k e s reefs everyone, whether you’re in LA, Kansas t h a n in the City, or even Boston. The effects ff of climate that alone. C a r i bchange can most recently be seen in the L o o k bean are devastating California wildfires last month. already unThe wildfires resulted in $1.808 billion of i n g b a c k der severe damage, over 10,000 homes destroyed, at the threat of and 68 casualties. The nearly 370 fires were sparked by intense thunderstorms, fueled New York Times by poor forest management, and worsened Regional Climate Risks by Geography (Click for interactive site). geological timescale, nearly 55 million years acidification, and if we were to reach the by a historic heatwave, a product of climate ago a similar massive increase in temperapoint of the PETM, much of the ocean change. Moreover, leading climate scientists ture due to the release of greenhouse gasfood web would be dramatically disrupted. argue that climate change increases the temes occurred. During the Paleocene-Eocene Possibly the worst part, however, is the inperature and frequency of wildfires. David Thermal Maximum, over 4.5 trillion tons of ability to fix this. If we let ourselves go too Romps, the director of the Berkeley Atmocarbon were released into the atmosphere, far, we will do long-lasting damage to the spheric Sciences Center said this on the matwhich is equivalent to the amount that marine ecosystem. Following the PETM, ter: “To cut to the chase: Were the heatwave
it took nearly 100,000 years for the oceans to return to their original state, and there is nothing that leads us to believe that it would be any better this time around. While the situation we’re in is dire, there are steps that the US can take to fight climate change. Scientists estimate that the world will have to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80% by 2050 to lessen the effects ff of climate change, but this will not happen unless a superpower, like the US, takes the lead. The most important step America needs to take is to shift away from using fossil fuels for energy to clean energy, such as solar, wind, and nuclear power. Fossil fuels are responsible for an estimated 76% of US greenhouse gas emissions, so a shift to renewable energy in all sectors, including transportation, industry, energy, and more, would have a significant impact. A response to climate change that includes a full shift to clean energy as well as investments in American infrastructure would also have huge economic benefits, creating an estimated 10 million jobs in the US to replace the 1.9 million jobs currently in fossil fuels. Other solutions that could help fight climate change alongside a shift to clean energy include implementing a carbon tax, geoengineering, being less wasteful, and conserving more land. ☐
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Why Amy Coney Barrett’s Nomination is Different ff By Jason Wong W ’23 and Sreetej Digumarthi ’21 P Panel Staff With less than three weeks to the election and millions of ballots already cast through early voting, the Republican Senate Majority is pushing to place Judge Amy Coney Barrett of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals on the Supreme Court. Although the move is constitutional, it displays clear hypocrisy on the side of the Republicans and should not continue so close to an election in which the balance of power in both the Senate and White House is at stake. In 2016, Republicans refused to vote on President Obama’s nominee to fill the late Justice Scalia’s seat, Merrick Garland, and set the precedent that a justice should not be confirmed in an election year. While Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is currently trying to claim that it is different ff this year because both the White House and Senate are controlled by Republicans, in 2016, he explicitly stated that Supreme Court vacancies should be decided by the presidential election, saying, “The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court justice. Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president.” Fourteen other current Republican senators made similar statements at the time, with Senator Lindsay Graham
(R-SC) going as far as to say, “If there’s a Republican President… and a vacancy occurs in the last year… you can say, Lindsay Graham said let’s let the next President, whoever that may be, make that nomination, and you could use my words against me and you’d be absolutely right.” Still, this should not be surprising, as some Republicans have already demonstrated monstrated in the past t h a t they do no ot care about the voice of the American people wh hen fillingg a Supreme Court vacancy. IIn a closed-door meeting in 2016, Senator Riichard Burr (R R-NC) stated thaat “If Hillary ClinC ton becom mes president, I’m gonna do ever yt hing I can do to make sure that four years from now, we’ve still got an opening on the Supreme Court.” While Republican precedent is enough reason to delay the confirmation until after the election or inauguration, Barrett’s comments about her religious
views make her unfit for the Supreme Court. There is nothing wrong with being religious as a justice, but Barrett has shown that her religion may interfere with her work on the court. In a 2006 commencement address at Notre Dame, Barrett stated, “your legal career is but a means to an end … that end is building the kingdom of God,” not exactly the belief in sseparation between Church and State that one o would hope for from a Supreme Court nominee. Barrett’s confirmation wo ould have a huge imp m act on the country, sh hifting the balance of the Supreme Cou urt from a 5-4 conservative majo ority to a 6-3 conservative majority. Not only would th his endang e r th t e Afford ff dable Care Act, which insu ures 20 milliion American ns, abortion n rights, and d gay marriage, all cases Daniel Xie ’24 that have decided by one vote in recent years, but it could also impact the upcoming election. President Trump has repeatedly attacked mail-in ballots, even though Christopher Wray, the Trump-appointed FBI director, has said there is no evidence of mail-
in voting fraud. These attacks mean that the election could very well be decided in a Supreme Court with three Trump-appointed justices. Trump has declared, “We need nine justices. You need that. With the unsolicited millions of ballots that they’re sending, it’s a scam. It’s a hoax … So you’re gonna need nine justices up there. I think it’s going to be very important because what they are doing is a hoax with the ballot.” It bears repeating that there is no evidence that the mail-in ballots the president is referring to are either a hoax or a scam. The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, has found only 208 cases of mail-in voting fraud dating back to 1988, an average of just 6.5 per year. Vice President Pence has said, “there is a possibility that election issues may come before the Supreme Court in the days following the election … All the more reason why we should have nine justices on the Supreme Court to be able to resolve any issues that may arise then or on any other matter.” Clearly, Republicans, including the two most important members of the party, are ready for an election that will be decided in the courts. For all of these reasons—Republican hypocrisy and precedent, Barrett’s past comments on religion and law, and shifting the balance of the court at such a consequential time—Amy Coney Barrett must not be confirmed to the Supreme Court. ☐
President Trump: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly Both writers want to emphasize that this article is not an endorsement of President Trump or his opponent, Vice President Biden. By Sammy Jomaa ’21 and Sreetej Digumarthi ’21 P Panel Staff The Good: He hasn’t started a war. In fact, Trump is the first president since Jimmy Carter to have not done so, which highlights the importance of this achievement. Over their times in office, Reagan, Clinton, Obama and both Bushes have engaged the U.S. in over a dozen conflicts. By contrast, President Trump has managed to avoid new conflicts and wind-down American involvement in Syria and Aff ghanistan while maintaining a hardline on Iran. And in doing so, he’s allowed the military to recover from the costly and often unnecessary wars of his predecessors, leaving it better prepared to take on
America’s true foes: Iran, Russia and China. The Bad: His handling of the coronavirus pandemic. With over 220,000 Americans dead, President Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic has been a disaster. In order to cut the executive budget, Trump disbanded the NSA’s Global health Security and Biodefense unit in May 2018 which was responsible for national pandemic preparedness. Its substitute - the White House Coronavirus Task Force, headed by Vice President Pence - has failed miserably. The US now represents over 20% of the world’s coronavirus deaths while accounting for only 4% of its population. Trump, who knew how dangerous coronavirus was as early as February 7 according to tapes released by journalist Bob Woodward, has consistently downplayed the dangers it poses, stating on separate occasions that it was a “democratic hoax” and “you have 15 people, and the 15 within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero.” The pan-
demic has also caused the ongoing recession, which at one point left over 30 million people unemployed. Trump has failed in his response to this too, with only one economic stimulus package being passed to date. The Ugly: His Racism. Since taking off fice in January 2016,, President Prres esid iden entt Trump has repeatedly come under fire for his racist actions. Recently, durin ng the September 29, 2020 debate between Tru ump and former Vice Prresident Biden, Trump p refused to condemn n the Proud Boys, an allt-right hate group, and even told them to “stand backk and stand by.” This comm ment emboldened the group, roup, which later posted online a modified version of their
logo that incorporated Trump’s comments. Trump has also claimed that protests about racial injustice over the past five months, of which 93% have been peaceful, represent a breakdown of “law and order.” To name just a few more examples of Trump’s many racist raci ra cist st aactions, ctio ct ions ns, he has called most Mexican “criminals, drug-dealers, and rapists,” his administratiion is actively imprisoning and ttearing apart families of asylum-seekeers on the southern border, he conttinues to refer to the coronavirus aas the “China Flu” (or “Kung Flu u”) despite the surge of h hate crimes against Asiian-Americans, he reetweeted a video of a man screamo ing “white power” in the background, and he has denied Riley Shafer ’21 systemic racism exists in America. ☐
Who Won the Presidential Debates? Movie Theaters Crushed by COVID By Alex Lo ’23 and Cooper Nelson ’23 P Panel Staff In the midst of a global pandemic and widespread protests on racial injustice, the country tuned in to watch the first Presidential Debate of 2020. In a cramped 90 minute session, the presidential candidates delivered an unpresidential, shaky debate, full of interruptions and disrespect. The candidates sparred on six key topics: political records, the Supreme Court, COVID-19, the economy, race inequality, and the election’s credibility. A week later, the Vice Presidential debate was a much calmer aff ffair, with both candidates acting more reasonably and presidentially than their partners higher up on the ticket. In both debates however, the moderators were almost powerless. These debates set the stage for what will surely be the most contentious election in recent American history. Presidential Debate: For many, Trump came in too rash and aggressive during the presidential debate, going straight for the jugular. Throughout the debate, Trump seemed to Th be trying to disorient Biden and provoke him to stumble and make a fool of himself.
At one point, he even said, “There’s nothing smart about you, Joe. Forty-seven years you’ve done nothing.” The Trump campaign was looking to further the idea of Biden’s “mental unfitness” as a presidential candidate. Unfortunately for Trump, Biden neither stuttered nor made any of the mistakes that Trump sought to provoke. Consumed by his bold offence, ff Trump lacked foresight and concrete answers on a future agenda, including condemning Obamacare with no plan to replace it. He also failed to condemn white supremacist hate groups, similar to the comments surrounding the Unite the Right Rally, which sparked Biden’s presidential run. He went as far as telling the farright hate group the Proud Boys to, “Stand back and stand by.” He touched on making several strong arguments but quickly passed them as he attempted to drill Biden. On Biden’s critical vulnerabilities, such as packing the court and closing the country, Trump was too focused on heckling to expose Biden. Thus, the moderator was not able to press Biden on these possible wins for Trump. Overall, Trump had a substantial chance to gain a leg up on Biden but fell short due to his aggressive personality. Continued online, click here.
By Daniel Rashes ’22 Staff Writer W There’s nothing in the world I love more than going to the movies. Something about stepping into that cavernous room with a gigantic screen has infatuated me for as long as I can remember. It’s been frustrating not to be able to revisit this magical place for the past eight months as I anxiously await the much-discussed but never-seen vaccine. At this point, movie theaters havee reeopened in certain areas. If yo ou feel comfortable with your odd ds, you can buy some tickets on Fandango and brave the viru us. If you’re more cautious like me, and you too are holdingg-off ff un ntil the great panaceaa, there’s a greater dilemma.. When it’s safe to return to t theaters, will there be any a left? Disaster struck ck in March when, the same week star Daniel Craig hosted Saturday Night Live to promote the release, Bond film No Time To Die was delayed six months to November. Other films had begun to shift their dates, but
this was the first significant change. Other major films followed suit: A Quiet Place Part II (March to September), Black Widow (Undated), and Fast and Furious 9 with the most dramatic shift, a whole ten months to April 2021. The push seemed excessive at the time, but a smart move in hindsight. Now is a good time to discuss why these postponements cause a major issue for the exhibition industries. Movie theaters survive by selling you popcorn. When you buy a ticket, the theaater gets 45% of that money; the resst goes to the studio. Depending on n how much you eat or drink, th t eaters can make upwards of fou ur times as much at the co c nces e ssion stand than in seats. Thaat’s why blockbuster moviess are so important. They briing in crowds of people, m many of them hungry for some popcorn to toss intto their mouths as Luke Trevisan ’24 24 they watch the Avengers beat-down the villain of the week. When theaters are closed, however, they can’t make money, and neither can the studios. It’s a symbiotic relationship…until it isn’t. Continued online, click here.
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October Athlete of the Issue: Ikenna Ugbaja ’21 By Adam Alto ’21 P Panel Staff Most of us know Ikenna Ugbaja as the towering lineman and Yale commit that he is, not to mention one of the best athletes Belmont Hill has to offer. ff He has built up an impressive name for himself over the past five years, attracting all sorts of attention from a mix of schools, with strong representation from Division I and Ivy League schools. These successes are seen externally, but it is important to acknowledge Ikenna’s triumph as the product of incredibly hard work. According to Ikenna, his journey started in his sophomore year. His modesty was obvious as he explained his football career thus far to me; he told me that, as a sophomore, he had no inkling that he would start on the team by the second game, let alone play at all. He faced intense pressure stepping onto a team full of New England Champions and all-around incredible players. His expectations for any sort of recognition after the first season were low, but he was quickly proven wrong aff ter multiple high-level college coaches fol-
lowed him on Twitter and he received four though his body type has changed drasticaloffers ff in two weeks. In another display of ly to fit the profile of a defensive lineman, modesty, Ikenna stated, “I never expected he has not sacrificed any speed or footwork any of this to happen, but I took advantage skills. In fact, he can be almost anywhere on where I could, going to camps and training the field in seconds in a way that rivals even almost every day.” Ikenna loved the game the most elusive high school receivers due unconditionally; to me, he was bound to to his refined technique and broad range of play football at a higher level. motion. Head Coach Chris One only has to look Butler put his talent into at Ikenna to know that he is perspective, saying, “Ikenna an incredible football player. is the best defensive tackle I He clearly has the physique have coached in my career. of a defensive lineman, as He has that rare combination well as the physical prowess of size, strength, speed, and necessary to set the edge on a quickness.” The impressive, football field and throw some multi-dimensional nature of bodies around while he’s at it. Ikenna’s skill comes from his However, only by watching training strategy. Anybody Ikenna’s playstyle closely does who has witnessed him pracJalen Walker ’21 ticing on and off his real talent reveal itself. ff the Belmont Don’t get me wrong, he likes to hit kids and Hill turf would agree that he takes conditioncause chaos, as any good lineman should, ing and footwork just as seriously as weight but Ikenna’s real flair lies in his skillful foot- lifting and tossing St. Sebs kids around. work and unprecedented speed. In Middle This year has been unusually tough School, he was a star receiver on the football for football players, but Ikenna is unusually team. I’ve played with Ikenna since Form tough. Although he will not have an opporII, and am confident in saying that, even tunity to carry his team to an ISL champion-
ship or a ring this year, Ikenna has remained a major source of energy and spirit on the football team. He is the team hype man and disciplinarian; Ikenna leads the Belmont Hill jumping jacks at the end of practice, and his voice booms out more than any other as we yell B-E-L-M-O-N-T H-I-L-L for the world to hear. He fills the team group chat with both logistical reminders and hype messages; one second he will be reminding us to respond to a coach’s email, and the next he’ll be typing in all caps about throwing kids around at the newly-scheduled scrimmage. Ikenna also excels beyond the football field, in true Belmont Hill athlete fashion. As a winner of the Woodbury Public Speaking contest and an avid poet, not to mention a funny guy to be around, his skills are truly well rounded. Coach Butler recognizes Ikenna’s all-around excellence, stating, “I am so excited for him and his opportunity next year. Yale will offer ff him an outstanding football program and top-notch education.” The entire football team certainly shares this sentiment, and I think I can speak for everybody at Belmont Hill when I say I wish Ikenna luck in the years to come. ☐
Update on Hockey Ryans: McGuire ’21 and Griffin ’22 By Abe Tolkoff T ’21 P Panel Staff Ryan McGuire: As the rink in the Jordan Athletic Center begins filling with ice, Ryan McGuire’s absence from campus this fall has become more pronounced. While most Seniors have already felt his loss in the classroom or around the dorms, the Varsity Hockey team will surely be incomplete without his presence. Coach McCarthy reflects that “Ryan had three strong years on varsity hockey” and “is a competitor with a fierce desire to win that fuels his work ethic.” Towards the middle of the school year last winter, as his post-Belmont Hill plans were solidifying, Ryan decided to leave campus for his senior year and play Juniors hockey in Canada. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he had to leave home earlier than expected and after arriving in Canada, quarantine in Quebec for fourteen days. From there, he began his week-long driving trek across the continent to Penticton, British Columbia. Now, nearly three months into his time training and playing with the Penticton Vees, an official member of the British Columbia Hockey League boasting an undefeated record this fall, he has settled into his new daily life. To complete his graduation requirements and finish his high school education, Ryan is enrolled at
Penticton High School. Beyond his daily classes, he lives with another team member, Switzerland native Stefano Bottini, and is on the ice nearly every day of the week. Ryan comments that while his academic life is much less structured than at Belmont Hill, he has enjoyed meeting so many new people and experiencing the different ff
were able to spend time on campus. He is hopeful that the winter season will bring opportunity for athletic competitions for all of our teams. Beyond that, he wishes everyone well and hopes we stay healthy and safe. The Panell in turn hopes that Ryan has a fantastic season and sends him our collective best wishes for continuing
Ryan McGuire ’21 Abe Tolkoff ff ’21 lifestyle of British Columbia. Of particular note is the focus and drive exhibited by all members of his team, which is complemented by outstanding facilities and resources offered ff by the Vees organization. Ryan says often that he misses the Belmont Hill community and everyone back home, but is glad to hear that we
Courtesy of Ryan Griffin ’22 to play at an incredibly high level. Good luck Ryan and we hope to see you soon! Ryan Griffin: Completing the duo of Ryans leaving campus to pursue hockey related training, Ryan Griffin ’22 is participating in Brian Daccord’s Stop It Goaltending Bridge Program run out of The PAD in Woburn, MA.
Academically, Ryan is enrolled in a state online learning academy called TECCA, mimicking the classes he would have taken on Belmont Hill’s campus and setting him up to graduate on time. Outside of the classroom, The Bridge program’s multilateral goalie training program encompases the rest of his school day including morning ice sessions, stretching, vision training, and fitness. Ryan participates in these activities along with a group of fifteen other goalies, eleven guys and four girls hailing from all over Massachusetts and New Hampshire. While they are not in a COVID bubble, Ryan says that the program allows for easy physical distancing and has not lost any of its training value due to the pandemic. In addition to their full time training staff ff and instructors, professional goaltenders will often participate in workouts and spend time with the student-athletes in the program, providing both mentorship and leadership. Ryan looks forward to the opportunity to strengthen all areas of his goaltending game, especially focusing on the fundamentals of what makes a good goalie a great goalie. Coach McCarthy comments that “Ryan has passion for hockey and work ethic to match it. He is a high character young man.” The Panell wishes Ryan the best of luck as he completes his year long program and looks ahead to continuing to play hockey in high school and beyond. ☐
Transitioning to the Second Half of Fall Sports By Daniel Bittner ’22 P Panel Staff During the first half of fall sports, a total of nine athletic options were available to students, consisting of both traditional fall and spring sports. Maintaining state guidelines and precautions concerning the spread of COVID-19, these sports were challenged with having to adapt and create new ways of running practices, ultimately causing most sports to focus largely on individual skills as opposed to group drills and competitions. Furthermore, the Belmont Hill athletic department, coaches, and staff ff were successfully able to produce the best athletic environment possible, receiving universal acclaim from athletes across all sports. Expressing immense gratitude towards the numerous individuals who contributed to these efforts, ff athletes were immensely thankful for the ability to still compete, improve, and enjoy themselves. Furthermore, as this first half of the
fall sports season comes to a conclusion, Belmont Hill will begin modified interscholastic competition on October 17th. Recently announced on October 13th by the Belmont Hill athletic director Mr. Tahan, Belmont Hill will compete in modified scrimmages against five other schools, Nobles, BB&N, Rivers, St. Sebastians, ff and Thayer Academy, in three different sports: cross country, football, and soccer. While modifications will be made to accommodate COVID-19 guidelines, such as the mandatory wearing of masks, these scrimagges will provide much appreciated interscholastic competition for fall athletes. In contrast to other fall seasons, these competitions are not traditional “games”, but rather scrimagges in which league records will not be kept and fans will not attend at least for the first few weeks. Nevertheless, these scrimmages will still be recorded for parents and guardians to watch and will allow Belmont Hill students to attain a sense of normalcy in weekly ath-
letic competition, in which they can both concludes, a total of 12 sports will have improve their skills and enjoy themselves. been offered ff by the athletic department, a Although only Varsity athletes will compete record number considering that only four in these scrimmages initially, the possibility options are available in normal years. All of other teams eventually participating still of the Belmont Hill athletes are greatly apexists if the first few weeks prove successful preciative of the efforts ff of every member of in mitigating the spread of the coronavirus. the athletic department, faculty, and staff Finally, athletes are eagerly awaiting for providing these optimal opportunities the upcoming second half of fall sports and allowing athletes to obtain a sense of which will begin the week of October 19th, normalcy through engaging athletics. ☐ last for four weeks, and conclude on November 14th. In addition to the traditional fall sports of football, soccer, cross country, and strength and conditioning, select winter sports including basketball, hockey, and squash will be offered. ff While these winter sports too will have to adapt to new ways of practicing, student-athletes are optimistic and eager to begin. UltimateJohn Gillooly ly, by the time the fall season Quarterbacks Run Drills
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How Student Athletes Are Training in COVID By Nick Hebard ’21 Staff Writer W The fall athletics season at Belmont Hill is truly unprecedented. Not only have practices been changed to meet state health guidelines, but Belmont Hill is offering spring sports along with the traditional fall sports for the first session. This variety during the fall is appreciated. Jack Barry ’21 opted for lacrosse and he pointed out that his ability to play this fall “[is] a nice way to make up for the spring season.” Spring athletes across campus were devastated by the lack of competition
Artist
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By Abe Tolkoff T ’21 P Panel Staff Since picking up a violin at the age of four, Julian Dalziel ’21 has become a talented musician and accomplished performer. He attributes his early playing years to the influence of his father, a guitarist, violinist, and singer himself. Like many early musicians, Julian was not initially sold on playing the violin, but he soon took to the instrument. After beginning to study with his current teacher, Boston University Professor Dr. Daniel Doña, Julian took up the viola, the slightly larger and lower toned string cousin to the violin. When he was 13, he transitioned fully to the viola and began playing with the Junior Repertory Orchestra, a prestigious group belonging
Theater
last spring so Belmont Hill’s decision to bring those sports back was caring. The requirement to wear masks during sports brings rings a new challenge to the aathletes. A cross counttry runner completed a h timed mile with mask on, and described the workout as, “A lot hardeer than one without a mask”. Additionally, the more casual setting of the fields normally leads to many new friendships, but this year it is harder to get
Issue:
to know your teammates. Water breaks are six feet apart, and students are constantly reminded to socially distance. The coaches are forced to modify their drills. Lacrossse can not play full 1v1 contact, a pastt favorite of Coach Sullivan. The rowiing team’s training is mu uch different this yeaar. In past years, t he crews trained in four- and eightman boats, but with Riley Sh Ril Shafer f ’21 Covid, these large boats are not possible. Coach Richards has had to get as many singles, pairs, and doubles as possible to make sure
Violist
to the larger Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra consortium based at BU. After two years with this group, Julian progressed to the Repertory Orchestra for two more years before joining the highest leveled ensemble, the Boston Youth Symphony, last fall. At Belmont Hill, Julian joined the orchestra when he first entered the school in Form III. Since then, he has enjoyed the range of talents and repertoire among Belmont Hill’s Chamber Orchestra. Beyond being the sole violist in the group, he appreciates the reprieve of Orchestra rehearsals during busy weeks on campus. Mr. Fiori notes that “Julian’s contributions to our orchestra have been vital” and he “has become an increasingly important and dedicated member of the group.” Last winter, Julian auditioned for the Northeastern Senior
Julian
District Music Festival and was selected as the second viola chair in the Senior District Orchestra. This all-star music group practices intensely for one week before performing high-level pieces in a culminating festival concert. From all of his orchestral experience, Julian remembers fondly playing repertoire including compositions such as Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf, Pirates of the Caribbean, and two selections from Hoist’s The Planets, Jupiter and Mars. Mr. Fiori comments that while “Julian has always been a talented musician, and in the past two years his increased dedication has yielded impressive achievements.” Looking ahead to his time after Belmont Hill, Julian hopes to continue playing orchestral music in college, perhaps studying for part of his four years at a music school.
every team member can get on the water. Regarding the new boat classes, Tyler Forg ’21 stated that, “Although the team misses rowing in the bigger, faster boats, everyone is incredibly grateful to be on the water, improving their skill in the more technical small boats. Sports this fall have given students a sense of normalcy, even more so with the introduction of scrimmages for some teams. The first three weeks of school without sports felt incomplete. Sports at Belmont Hill are a great teacher of humility and determination. Athletes are thankful that the school is allowing sports to be played safely this fall. ☐
Dalziel
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In addition, he expects to explore other aspects of music inside and outside of the classroom and is particularly interested in music production. The Panell looks forward Jalen Walker ’21 to hearing more from Julian this year and beyond and congratulates him on his dedication to music at Belmont Hill and beyond. ☐
Utilizes collective New Schedule B-Flats Make the Best of Restrictions interest in what we wanted to inthough the B-flats singers have faced many
By Ryan R Cannistraro ’21 Contributing Writer W
COVID-19 has changed all of our extracurricular activities this year, and this pandemic has hit Belmont Hill’s theater program hard. Experts continuously point out that theater and other organized forms of performing arts are hotspots for transmitting the novel coronavirus, especially sincee singing/projection and cho-reography/blocking, which h break social-distancing protocols and facilitate the spread of the virus. So, the Belmont Hill theater department has developed a comprehensive plan to help students stay connected to the classical art without rewarding performances. Earlier in the year, Mr. DiResta sent out an email surveying the community’s
clude in our theater department. He and Mr. Conway then created a rotating 5-week plan that involves many aspects of the theater experience in addition to acting. So far, we have had workshops on how to operate the light bo board, how to construct sets beest, how to direct, and many other opportunities that we o never have the chance to engage in all in one season. The email initially sttated that the programs would run during the Daniel Xie ’24 Upper or Middle School’s respective sports slot, but we have so many people that want to do both that Middle and Upper Schoolers can do either of the time slots. There is no long-reaching commitment, so come in as often as you feel comfortable and willing to broaden your skills in the world of performing and visual arts! ☐
By Jason Wong W ’23 P Panel Staff
challenges, their enthusiasm for singing has remained strong. In fact, they just had their As a result of the COVID-19 first synchronous rehearsal in which all off them sang together t through Zoom. Mr. p a n d e m i c , m a n y of Patterson hass recently expressed his disapthe school’s programs, includpointm ment of not being able to particing the B-flats, have dramatiipate in live sessions but also looks cally changed to adapt to the new w forwaard to a different ff and exciting protocol. COVID-19 protocolss year o of a new learning experience. forbid students from singing The obstacles the B-flats entogether in the same room, so Mr. M countered are certainly not Patterson had to find new ways to keep uniq que; there are other programs the group rolling. Currently, thee B-flats like clu ubs and the school orchesare using an app called Acapeella which tra also affected ff by the new protoallows the members to sing their parts sepcols. Participating in them arately and combine them later. ter Riley Shafer ’21 requires strenuous effort ff This method enables them to produce a recording just as they would when and a flexible attitude. Ultimately, the acsinging together. But one downside is the tions taken to make sure that the B-flats, struggle of maintaining proper rhythm; it orchestra, and other clubs still meet has proven difficult to combine one person’s serve as examples of finding alternatives voice with others when recording alone. Al- in an unusual and bewildering time. ☐
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P Paul V Vander Vort V ’21, Justin Paré P ’21, Adam Alto ’21
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Myles Cutler ‘21
Croods 2 Review - Adam Alto ’21 The Croods 2: A New Age changed my life. In fact, it saved my life. All of our lives have been less than ideal during these trying times, and mine was no exception. Until last week. During my bi-weekly browsing of the Croods subreddit, I came across a pirated early-access version of the Croods: A New Age. Needless to say, my whole family and I were ecstatic. After watching it eight times, I must say I am not disappointed. I don’t want to spoil the movie; all I will say is that DreamWorks has revived an old classic that we all know and love in an odds-defying movie release that will say 2020. I love you The Croods!
A Reaction to The Social Dilemma By Adam Alto ’21
I have the solution to the Social Dilemma. I don’t understand all the buzz. It’s simple, really. Ever heard of a flip phone, huh? How about not having a phone? Probably not. Every day I see countless Belmont Hill Students browsing the interwebs on their fancy SmartPhones, or “FartPhones” as I like to call them. Hear me loud and clear: GET OFF YOUR COLLECTIVE HIGH HORSE! Back in my day, you didn’t see little squeakers runnin’ around with a telephone bigger than their head. Whatever happened to throwing glass bottles against the wall of the local Burger King, or playing parking lot rugby with a brick? Boy, I outta! Nowadays, all you kiddos do is sit inside and get your brain boggled by videos about freakin’ BUTT-NOTHING! And as for the main character of this documentary, talk about a simp! Girls, especially girls on social media? Haven’t heard of ‘em! The only redeeming quality of a FartPhone is Clash of Clans, and if you think differently, ff you are dead to me. We are lost as a society, to put it lightly, and I will have to intervene soon.
I’m Dan Bilzerian, and i approve this message