thePHARCYDE
Benjamin School Newspaper
Focus shifts to new photography studio for yearbook portraits, special events
Annabel Brown Staff Writer
Students were in for a surprise last Friday when they walked into Benjamin Hall dressed their best: a new photography company. Previously, individual photos have been taken by MOYA Studio photographers and were shoulder-up against a navy blue background. Focused on Forever Studio, the new company, took a different approach. Students posed for a variety of photos against different backdrops: two in front of a baby blue background with their hands on their hips and folded in front of them and another two against
a beige background with their legs on a step stool and hands either on the back of the neck or hugging one knee.
The previous picture day experience with MOYA Studio felt much more personal to some. Despite the simplicity of the pose, photographers made each student feel special by making modifications that catered to their individual angles and creating a comfortable atmosphere.
In comparison, some students felt the Focused on Forever Studio experience was more impersonal and rushed.
“I really don’t know how [my photos] are going to turn out with
those poses,” freshman Shemayah Jean-Louis commented. “Plus, I just felt really rushed because I had a test to get back to.”
When interviewed, many students also talked about the awkward nature of the poses or their embarrassment at doing them in front of their classmates.
Freshman James Wright said: “The poses were kind of weird, so I definitely prefer the old company.”
Conversely, some students appreciated the change brought along by Focused on Forever Studio.
“I thought the backgrounds really went well because when they were navy no one could wear dark colors, but now you could if you wanted to,” said freshman Caroline Connor.
Back when pictures were taken by MOYA Studio, whites, pastels, and other popping colors were popular among students because they didn’t blend into the dark background. These lighter backgrounds will allow for greater self-expression and more variety in student wear during future picture days. The versatile poses also allowed students to show off their outfits more.
“[The poses] were definitely different–not in a bad way–but I’m curious to see my pictures,” junior Payton Connors shared.
While opinions on the new photography company varied, the change undoubtedly marks a departure from tradition. With Focused on Forever Studio operating as the new photographers, students will have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the company and experiment with their picture day outfits.
US Director earns theater nomination
for
Chase Zur Co-Editor-in-Chief
Upper School Director of Theater, Mr. Jason Peck, has earned a nomination for a Carbonell Award for his Outstanding Direction of a Play for All My Sons with the New City Players in Fort Lauderdale.
Mr. Peck production last February and March followed his direction of the play here on campus during the 2022-2023 school year.
“It’s a huge honor to be nominated. The list of who is on the best director nominee sheet was pretty amazing. There were Pulitzer Prize finalists, Tony nominees, Obie nominees, and these are people that I’ve looked up since I’ve moved to Florida, so the fact that I am even on that list is something I wasn’t expecting. I’m not getting my hopes up, but, honestly, the nomination and the acknowledgement is the award for me. In the back of your head you always fantasize if you would win, but I don’t think that is going to happen,” shared Mr. Peck.
Mr. Peck will learn if he takes home the award on Nov. 17.
NHS inducts new members, drawing attention to four pillars of excellence during advisor’s final ceremony
Chase Zur Co-Editor-in-Chief
On Tuesday, September 30, The National Honor Society (NHS) gathered in Benjamin Hall, united in white, blue, and black robes for its fall induction ceremony. By the end of the program, seven seniors and one junior transfer student had joined the chapter, pledging to uphold the society’s four pillars of scholarship, leadership, service, and character.
The event opened with remarks from Head of Upper School Mr. David Faus and Mr. Fletcher Carr, who then introduced NHS advisor, Ms. Sara Misselhorn. She detailed the rigorous progress for admission: students must hold a cumulative GPA of 3.8, submit an application with a résumé of service and leadership, write an essay, and sit for an interview with current members. Applications are then viewed by the faculty council who consider feedback from teachers, coaches, and administrators before the final vote is taken.
“All four of the pillars are represented in each NHS member. NHS members show leadership in and out of the classroom. commitment to community service, a great knowledge base by taking rigorous academic classes, and showing their commitment not only to the school community but to the community at large,” Ms. Misselhorn explained.
This year's induction also marks
Misselhorn’s last after ten years as advisor. “As a Benjamin alum, I was in the National Honor Society when I was here, and I think it really inspired my love of community service and helping others. It has been a true honor to be the NHS advisor for the past ten years. I have seen so many great things that the students have done and it has really opened my eyes to all the incredible things that they accomplish for the community and the school,” Ms. Misselhorn expressed.
Following Miss Misselhorn’s remarks, Chapter President Sebastian Scaperotto and other officers read short biographies of the inductees, outlining their individual achievements for the community. Following each introduction, a current NHS member stepped forward to present a stole and officially welcome the student into the society.
“As president, I am truly excited to see how our new inductees will strengthen our chapter and bring honor to The Benjamin School. Each of them has already shown excellence in leadership, service, scholarship, and character, and I know they will continue to carry those values forward. I look forward to watching the unique impact they will make, both within our school and in the greater community,” Scaperotto noted.
For senior Ava Seested, the moment represented years of work. “Over the last two years, I worked
really hard to find volunteer opportunities and try to make a difference in my community, so when I found out that I was inducted, I was so so excited. I think that founding the Benjamin Cares community service calendar and earning the presidential service award for 250 hours in a year definitely contributed to my acceptance. But more than anything, I am just happy to be a part of a society filled with such intelligent and inspirational people,” Seested shared.
Senior Drew Palmer, like Seested, feels that his determination contributed most to his induction and is looking forward to getting more involved in the school community during his final year at the Upper School.
“I felt very accomplished when I got the acceptance email because I had wanted to get in since junior year but I had just missed the GPA requirement. I felt very motivated to make sure I got in this year and worked so hard last year to get my grades up to have the opportunity. I am so excited to contribute to the school more and I hope I’m able to impact the school in a positive way,” Palmer expressed.
The ceremony concluded with the recitation of the official NHS pledge and the lighting of candles. Filling the Benjamin Hall stage with a new glow, The National Honors Society stood eight members stronger, a brighter chapter ready for the year ahead.
Mr. Peck has been spending afternoons busily preparing
the fall drama with his cast.
(Photo by Isabella Anthon)
Nine members of the Class of 2026 were inducted into the School’s NHS chapter: (left to right) Caroline Smith, Regan Pych, Jackson Lean, Niko Lenard, Andrew Palmer, Madison Jayson, Isabella Contacessa, Makenna Bristow, and Ava Seested.
(Photo by Jeremy Ferris)
Senior Sage Ponchock features in the announcement of the School’s partnership with its newest official photography studio, Focused on Forever.
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Haley Roth Co-Editor-in-Chief
Homecoming Week kicked off on Tuesday, October 14, with Orange vs. Blue Day. This day, an annual tradition at Benjamin, was highly anticipated by students as they put together their best outfits. For this Spirit Day, students wore either orange or blue, depending on which team they were on. BucGames also began, but with an interesting new theme: Squid Games
For Orange vs. Blue Day, each student was given a t-shirt to wear based on their team affiliation. These t-shirts were designed and paid for by the Student Council. They helped ensure all students could be included in the festivities with minimal effort.
Other students chose to get even more creative and celebratory, wearing wigs, tutus, colored suits, and more in addition to their team t-shirts.
“I actually wore the blue Benjamin shirt and paired it with a blue tennis skirt,” shared senior Kate Quinlivan.
As for the daily activity, students had their first experience with the new Squid Games format of BucGames. This new format includes various games inspired by those played in the popular Netflix show.
Student Council Advisor, Mr. Zachary Rubiano, explains the change in game type, “The decision to change the activities and traditional format of our activities into what I’ve developed into Buc Games, our Squid Games themed multi-day event, came from me primarily. I think over the years, doing the same couple of activities gets boring and played out. Students lose interest in watching the same 30 kids play dodgeball year after year, and by the time students become seniors, they get annoyed with how boring Spirit
Week has become. This year, our format gave us the ability to involve the whole student body, create a multiday competition, and keep even your more parochial students on the edge of their seats to see what was coming next. I think it was a huge success.”
On Tuesday, the activity was inspired by the game Mingle, in which, on the show, players stood on a rotating platform and then ran in circles, with only a certain number of players allowed. At Benjamin, the game was changed slightly with the smaller circles being selected based on team, grade level, and gender. The activity took place on the field and was just the beginning of Squid Games competitions throughout the week.
Senior Caroline Welke enjoyed this new game, “It was so much fun because we were just all running around trying to figure out where to go. I also survived and made it to the next day, which was exciting.”
By the end of Tuesday’s game, 39 freshmen, 36 sophomores, 38 juniors, and 38 seniors remained in BucGames and got to continue on to Wednesday’s competition.
This new version of BucGames was difficult to plan in terms of logis-
tics, but also extremely creative and interactive for all students, not just a select group. It seems as though, in the eyes of the Student Council, this shift in format paid off.
“This activity went better than I could have anticipated, given the nature of it. We took some 500 plus students, 40 faculty members, and brought them to the field where absolute chaos was going to erupt. Mr. Wik and I had done our best to prepare the Faculty for their role in the activity, but once game day had arisen, you never really realize how many kids 500 are until they’re in front of you, ready to trample you. The activity itself went exceedingly well; we had programmed in advance how many eliminations we could have to continue the rest of the week’s activities, and we managed to reach that number with a small margin of error. No students were injured during the game, which is always a plus. Best of all, all of the outside planning and work by Mr. Wik and me proved to function well, which, when you try something new, is never a guarantee,” explained Mr. Rubiano.
Sophomore Peyton Welke races to a circle to stave off elimination during the first day of Spirit Week.
(Photo by Jeremy Ferris)
The first game of Homecoming Week was a recreation of the Squid Game activity Mingle, where players must walk into a circle and then run to another, smaller circle with a select number of players allowed in. Benjamin Student Council put their own spin on the game by also making the circles selective by color team, grade level, and gender.
(Photo by Jeremy Ferris)
A group of orange team, sophomore boys stand in Mrs. Wright’s circle to avoid elimination. Pictured (left to right) above are Mrs. Wright, Henry Conn, Brooks Burden, and Bobby Hicks.
(Photo by Jeremy Ferris)
Students were encouraged to go all-out and wear their best blue and orange, depending on their team. Pictured above is a group of Blue Team sophomore girls. Pictured above are (left to right) Abby Hardyman, Peyton Welke, Liza Ambrose, Keily Gomez, and Salem Johnson. (Photo by Haley Roth)
Freshman Parker Heaton and Trace Colton wear their Orange Team t-shirts, designed and purchased by members of the Student Council. (Photo by Haley Roth)
Senior Blue Team Members, Maxine Dalton and Catherine Hicks showed their school spirit by wearing blue hoodies. Later in the day, they both competed on the field for the chance to make it to the next Homecoming Week Activity,
like Orange vs. Blue Day because its a tradition here at Benjamin that I’ve participated in all four years of highschool. You also don’t have to dress up in an extreme way to show team spirit,” explained senior Maxine Dalton. (Photo by Haley Roth)
Seniors Chase Connor and Jake Froot pose in their best orange outfits for Spirit Week. (Photo by Reid Waxman)
MEME DAY
Chase Zur Co-Editor-in-Chief
Annabel Brown Staff Writer
On Wednesday, October 15, students filled campus with laughter and creativity for Meme Day, the second event of the 2025 Homecoming Spirit Week. The themed day featured costumes inspired by viral internet memes and pop-culture moments, leading into the next round of BucGames, the school’s Squid Game inspired competition between the orange and blue teams.
According to Student Council President Liam Duffy, the “Meme Day” theme was chosen to encourage originality and participation.
“This homecoming week we really wanted to do things that could make the students get creative without having to redo the same themes we do every year. Meme day was a great addition to our theme’s roster, as it hasn’t been done in years and gives students an opportunity to express their humor through costume,” Duffy explained.
Students embraced the spirit of the day with outfits ranging from the roller-skating “Lady Glitter Sparkles” to NBA player Jeff Teague.
“I decided to be Lady Glitter Sparkles because I thought it would
be really funny to roller skate around school. I loved making people laugh as they saw me walk by and making memories with my friends. It made me so happy to see everyone so dressed up and participating. The theme lifted the spirit in our classes in a unique way and brought everyone together,” senior Piper Touhey expressed.
Sophomore Kevin McGann, who dressed as Jeff Teague, felt that the day helped him connect with his classmates.
“Me and a lot of my friends wanted to be Jeff Teague because of the viral meme on TikTok of him. It was so nice to have a big group of us all dressed as the same meme and one of my favorite parts of the day was taking a photo with everyone dressed up. The day gave me confidence because even though I was dressed in a ridiculous outfit, everyone seemed to love it,” McGann said.
Spirit Week Showdown: Red Light, Green Light Competition
After lunch, students gathered in the gym for Red Light, Green Light, The challenge, organized by Social Science Department Chair Mr. Graham Wik and Student Council Advisor, Mr. Zack Rubiano, recreated some of the intensity of Squid Games, with music, posters and students competing to stay in the game.
Junior Emma Lewis loved the suspense and the competitive energy it brought to the gym.
“I really enjoyed the high stakes nature of the game. Since I had played Red Light, Green Light many times before, I was pretty confident in my approach to just take my time and eventually make my way to the end. I was so happy when I crossed the finish line and was excited to compete in the next round the following day,” Lewis stated.
For others, the game was as nerve-wracking as it was fun. Freshman Ava Bavarro felt that the combination of excitement and pressure made the experience particularly memorable.
“During the game, I tried to walk quickly when it was green, but as soon as it turned red, I came to a dead stop, not even breathing. I was really nervous because I wanted to stay in the game but as soon as I crossed the finish line I felt a sense of relief. It was so rewarding,” Bavaro said.
Faculty, too, enjoyed the game. World Language Department Chair, Señora Tejera-Mede, helped signal during the activity, acting as the main doll in the Squid Games series.
“Mr. Wik and Mr. Rubiano asked, and of course, I said yes immediately since I love participating in activities. I love seeing the laughter, fun, and the release of energy from students. During these weeks, the school becomes more than just a place for classes; the students feel connected, supported, and part of the school community,” Señora Tejera-Mede explained.
When the last round of Red Light, Green Light came to an end, students returned to class, the pool of competitors narrowing as Spirit Week reached its midpoint. By afternoon, the excitement had faded back into routine, but the week’s competition was far from over.
The “performative male” meme has become one of TikTok’s most recognizable trends, poking fun at men who present themselves as feminist, or artistic soley to impress women. Performative male videos or impersonations often feature matcha lattes, wired earphones, vintage cameras, and tote bags, all meant to capture the aesthetic of being intellectual , introspective, and culturally self-aware.
Seniors Dev Maharaj, Owen Olbers, and Drew Palmer decided to bring the meme to life for Meme Day. “The performative male meme was based on a concept I always found funny. On TikTok, people are always joking about others who drink matcha, wear wired earphones, or read feminist literature just to impress girls. I’ve been watching the trend online since the summer and have been waiting for a good chance to be performative, so dressing up was a lot of fun,” Maharaj said.
History and Facts
Game Play Around the World:
Although the origin of the game is unknown, it has been played for generations. It is known by different names in different countries.
Popularization in the US:
The game became popular through the 1950s television show Cartoon Express, hosted by William Stella. The goal was to finish a glass of milk drinking only on “green light.” The announcer would trick contestents, sometimes calling “green eyes” or “red pants,” so it was harder than it sounds!
With latte’s in hand Seniors Dev Maharaj, Drew Palmer, and Owen Olbers show off their “perfomative male” outfits. (Photo by Chase Zur)
Juniors Sloane Tuohey, Phoebe Apple, and Emma Lewis all pose for a photo in their meme day costumes, inspired by Fetty Wap’s song “1738.”
(Photo by Chase Zur)
Freshman Izzy Knot and Indira Bandekar dressed as Thing 6 and Thing 7, a creative twist on the classic Dr. Seuss characters inspired by the viral ‘‘6 and 7’’ TikTok trend.
(Photo by Annabelle Brown)
Sophomores Ilia Peck, Sophia Lapter, Andrea Arendts, and Chloe Bitove hurry forward during the “green light,” speed-walking toward the finish line in hopes of reaching it to advance to the next round in the 2025 BucGames competition.
(Photo by Jeremy Ferris)
For Meme Day, seniors Makenna Bristow and Sky Muir, channeled Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly from the movie, Step Brothers with matching sweaters and wigs.
(Photo by Chase Zur)
Japan The UK
North America France
Statues Game
Daruma-san Ga Koronda Grandma’s Footsteps & Fairy Footsteps
Un, Deux, Trois, Solei
During the Red Light, Green Light game, Senora Tejera-Mede acted as the infamous doll from the Squid Games Series, turning the gym into a scene straight out of the show.
(Photo by Jeremy Ferris)
From left to right: Juniors Grey Bunting, Nate Swank, and Evan Wang pause midstep as the “red light” is called during the Red Light, Green Light challenge in the gym, trying not to move or laugh as they wait for the next “green.”
(Photo by Jeremy Ferris)
You may have seen junior Jack Hansen wandering around campus, scoring goals on the soccer field, or flexing some muscle as a defender on our championship laxcrosse team. But who is the real dude hiding inside the khaki shorts and navy polo? Here are nine facts about Jack:
- He can’t whistle.
- His hatred of bannanas makes him an outcast among the Minions.
- He starts each day with a morning shower, ensuring he’ll smell awe some when he hugs his mom before leaving the house.
- He’s really good at voice impersonations; you should hear him belt out Ariana Grande tunes.
- Unlike his dad, he’s never had a coffee.
- He can juggle a lot of things, though he’s not the smoothest on the dance floor.
- Don’t tell Mr. Wik (who is searching for a tutor for his son for this hobby), but Jack’s an expert at solving Rubik’s Cube.
- He cannot laugh without crying, but luckily the reverse is not true.
- His tongue reaches his nose... but he won’t tell us why he discovered this about himself.
Reid Waxman
Co-Editor-in-Chief
Thurs, Oct. 16th, brought a twist to Homecoming week as students stepped into teachers' shoes, literally. From the regular Benjamin attire to button-downs, dresses, and more, students had fun mirroring the teachers who teach them every day.
Senior Sienna Barboni dressed up as Mrs. Salivar, and, in a funny coincidence, the two ended up wearing the same dress, which earned plenty of laughs from both students and teachers.
“Our entire AP Spanish class dressed up as Mrs. Salivar, and we’ve had this planned for so long now. I didn’t even try to get the same dress as hers, but just something that somewhat looks like her dress. Coincidentally, we wore the same dress that day,” Barboni remarked. “People said that day that I looked so much like her.”
Sophomore Becket Yeary tried to do his best Mr. Rubiano impression, wearing as much Dunkin' Donuts merch as possible.
“I had a good time dressing up as him. I got a ton of compliments, and everyone said I looked exactly like him,” Yeary stated.
On the other hand, teachers dressed up as students and had a great time with it. Mrs. Steiner dressed up as a specific student.
“I dressed up like senior Chase Connor. I know he has a good sense of humor, and I figured he would go along with me dressing up like him,” Steiner said. “I wasn’t sure if he was, but he dressed up like me. I got the smallest possible shirt, and I rolled up my shorts for it to be like him.”
Junior Mackenzie Bryan had good things to say about Thursday.
“The whole week was awesome, but Tuesday was the best-dressed day
of the week by far. I loved everyone trying to dress up like their favorite teacher. Everyone in each class that I had that dressed up quizzed the class on who they dressed up as,” Bryan remarked.
After the laughter-filled morning of costumes of classroom impressions, the excitement carried into the afternoon with the day’s Buc Games challenge.
Thursday’s activity was jump rope. It tested the remaining contestants in the competition’s agility and coordination. The students ran through a 32-foot line that was two feet wide, with Coach Belser and Coach Smith swinging the jumprope clockwise at a medium pace.
Every day this week, Mr. Franzen was the announcer of all the games, and he loves how the games have gone, especially on Thursday.
“The kids are having a great time out there. It’s including everybody, and I love the enthusiasm, especially when they were doing the jumprope,” Franzen noted.
Senior Michael Johnson participated in the game, but struggled to hold his balance.
“It was definitely the hardest game yet, but I made it through. It
was a very small landing area for your feet after you jumped over the jump rope,” Johnson said. “I feel like if we had a longer bridge for us to go through, then more people would have gotten out. Only a few people got out, and it would have been more interesting if it were a little bit challenging.”
Sophomore Reese Goodwin wishes she had participated in the fun.
“It looked like everyone was having a good time out there. I have always been pretty good at jumprope, and I would have definitely gotten through,” Goodwin explained.
Unlike Goodwin, freshman Paige Hauisen was happy she didn’t participate.
“That looked really hard. It was comical watching it from the stands, because I was rooting for all of my friends when they did the jumprope,” Hauisen stated.
Thursday captured the lighthearted spirit of Homecoming Week. It brought laughter across campus with the clever costumes and the competitive jump rope event. The day reminded students and teachers alike that Benjamin’s traditions are built on creativity and Buccaneer spirit.
Considered by generations of Bucs as the Beating Heart of the Performing Arts, to those on campus who see her each day, Senora Salivar is the eye of the Upper School, or more specifically, it’s Bucanner Blue eye-shadow.
Senora Salivar, who purchases her signature occular make-up from Amazon first began using it as a performer. The Dazzlers’ coach notes that she began her entertainment career at the age of three-- before some of her students had even mastered the art of walking upright. But why blue? Well, she explained to The Pharcyde that as a young girl living in Peru she “became accustomed to very colorful and vibrant surroundings wherever [she] went.” Eventually, that journey took her to Palm Beach Gardens.
With a style and look so distinctive that she was among the most referenced faculty members during Dress Like A Teacher Day, Senora Salivar surprisingly asserts that her go to accessory isn’t icy blue, but liquid love: “I’d choose my Big Slurpee Cup over my eyeshadow. I need it to survive.”
wait to see what Harris does as an encore!
(Photo by Reid Waxman)
As she readies this season’s on-stage offerings, from multiple showcases and concerts to January’s marquee event-- the Bash Variety Show-- Senora Salivar promises to be both spotlight ready and properly hydrated, fully embodying Gail Godwin’s observation, “Good teaching is one-fourth preparation and three-fourths pure theatre.”
Seniors Jake Ivancevic and Chase Connor (right) pose for a picture right before ther first class of the day. “I had so much fun. Throughout the day, I was getting compliments on my dress, even though, I took it right out of my mom’s closet,” Connor stated. (Photo by Reid Waxman)
Senior-a Salivars: Sarah Frank, Sienna Barboni, Mrs. Salivar, and Bryce Seger pose for their quadruplet’s portrait. “I dressed up as Mrs. Salivar with my entire AP Spanish class. We had it set up for a while now, and I am so glad everyone followed through with it.” Frank said. (Photo by Reid Waxman)
Junior Jayden Jean-Baptise wore a button and dark pants so as to spend the day as Upper School science teacher and saxophonist Mr. Milce.
(Photo by Reid Waxman)
Freshman Alex Harris dressed up as Upper School theater director Mr. Peck. Harris captured the laid-back casualness of his favorite teaching thespian with such success that sophomore Ilia Peck is rumored to have asked him to help her with homework and Mr. Bell to have questioned him about the lighting design for the upcoming fall drama production. We can’t
Junior Austin Douglas displays a gravity-defying vertical jump during the jump rope competition. Success in the event required stamina, near perfect timing, speedy reflexes, and an ability to thrust one’s self off the ground without getting tangled in either of two 32-foot long rotating ropes.
(Photo by Jeremy Ferris)
Isabella Anthon Associate Editor
The events of a fun-filled week culminated on Friday. With the Homecoming football game only hours away, the students were full of energy at the Pep Rally. The cheerleaders gave them a preview of the night’s routines, as did the Dazzlers. Neither team ever failed to wow.
Every which way, one could see students donning their class dress: Fortnite Freshmen, Star-Spangled Sophomores, Jingle Bell Juniors, and SWAT Seniors. They went all out, even dressing as Santa Claus and Thomas Jefferson.
Sophomore Melea Morgan said, “It was hilarious to see some of the costumes. One of my friends told me she was dressing up as George Washington, but I thought she’d just wear a tee shirt or something with his face on it. She wore a founding father wig and jacket.”
Benjamin High School’s inaugural “Buc Squid Games” then came to a head with tug of war. If one side didn’t have enough students, they had to suffer the disadvantage. Freshman Connor Buchanan, Jackson Link, sophomores Jack Carney, Mason Coles, and Max Wendler, juniors Griffon Alterman, Autum Gay, Emma Lewis, and seniors Desmon
Flemming, Gavin Venoff, and Caroline Welke made up the blue team.
These contestants matched up against a larger opponent than anticipated. Orange team’s contestants consisted of freshmen Jack Fuller, Quinn Hoban, Gerard Vulgaris, sophomores Lukas Sluiters, John Collins, Sophia Lapter, and Andrea Arendts, juniors Logan Buchanan, Cian Hoban, Samantha Haueisen, and seniors Niko Lenard and RJ Pierman.
With a ratio of 12-11, the odds were stacked against the blue team. The match was close, but strength and firmly planted feet led Team Orange to victory. And so the first BucGames came to an end. Some members of the blue team were disappointed with the outcome and found it unjust.
Freshman Connor Buchanan said, “I didn’t try as hard as some other people to make it to the last round, but a lot of kids did. It wasn’t fair at all that the orange team won because we didn’t have as many people. As long as Logan Buchanan is on orange [team], blue team will lose again next year.”
As always, Ms. Mays closed out the pep rally with a B-U-C-S chant to get everyone excited for the football game. Friday morning’s events were a great kickoff to Homecoming Weekend.
in with the each day’s
especially on Class
others find a special comfort in
looks that seem to rise above the limitations of being a SWAT
Emma
goal in mind this spirit week:
Out. If you saw her around campus, it was clear she did just that.
“This whole week has been very fun. I always like not having to wear my uniform,” said Woody.
“Friday was my favorite because of the tug of war and the class themes. I thought the Squid Games were just alright, though. I got eliminated in the first round because I didn’t understand what to do, which was my fault.”
“I hope that the theme next year is Singer Sophomores so I can have the opportunity to dress up as a
In the midst of their routine, the varsity cheerleaders fly one of their members in the air. Sophomore Teresa Gorman said, “It’s always stressful when we fly someone, but once the landing sticks everyone smiles. But we all trust each other enough to know it’ll go well.”
(Photo by Phoebe Apple)
Led by freshmen Connor Buchanan, the blue team attemps to pull the tug of war flag over to their side. He said, “It’s a shame we couldn’t get the win for blue team, but we’ll be back” (Photo by Phoebe Apple)
Juniors Zeta Kujawa, Ziva Garaj, Violet Waxman, and Cacki Pearsall await the pep rally to begin. “Our class theme [Jingle Bell Juniors] was so great because all you had to do was wear red,” said Garaj.
(Photo by Phoebe Apple)
(Top row, left to right) Jake Ivancevic, Stephen Cecil, Thomas Godino, Jake Froot, (bottom row, left to right) Chase Connor, Michael Johnson, Tatum Little, Campbell Hogan, and Luc Borzilleri stare down students. (Photo by Phoebe Apple)
Sophomore Mason Coles enters the gym feeling patriotic in his outfit for Star Spangled Sophomores.
(Photo by Phoebe Apple)
Freshman
Woody
Go. All.
Gorillaz character.”
Junior Phoebe Apple was all over the court capturing the spirit of Homecoming-and the holidays-- with her camera. (Photo by Jeremy Ferris)
Members of the volleyball team celebrates their senior captain during assembly, acknowledging her success with a banner. (Photo by Jeremy Ferris)
Student Council President Liam Duffy and advisor Mr. Rubiano clearly put in a lot of sweat and passion to making the week a success.
(Photo by Jeremy Ferris)
Patriotism abounds in the Sophomore Class bleachers. Go USA!
(Photo by Jeremy Ferris)
Among the more a-peel-ing traditions of Homecoming is that of dressing up in the most creative attire one can find. While most students attempt to fit
themes,
Theme Day,
nostalgic
Senior, Jingle Bell Junior, Star Spangled Sophomore, or Fortnite Freshman. Above, freshman Bennett Hamilton dresses in every Minion’s favorite snack, proving that during spirit week, it’s ok to go a bit bananas!
(Photo by Jeremy Ferris)
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Autumn is the season of the harvest, and to honor the act of collection, we’ve gathered some of the diverse and inspiring beliefs held by Upper School students, teachers, and staff members. Whether these convictions, or those that remain unpublished, are held in your hearts, minds, or stomachs, we hope you find nourishment in their being a part of who you-- and we-- are.
“The Benjamin community is strong” (Annie Godino) �� “You should be kind to other people” (Alyssa Stump) �� “Pineapples son) �� “‘Red Balloon’ by Charli XCX is the best song ever made” (Nickie Walsh) �� “Christianity” (Michael Colluci) �� “Life lieve in Boov” (Addy Walczak) �� “Mermaids exist” (Zariel Smith) �� “Dogs are superior to any other animal” (Lila Cooper) nut Cult makes you skinny” (Makenna Bristow) �� “Homework is bad” (Maddox Rakoczy) �� “God... I feel that there is a higher quality a person can have.” (Bridget Stein) �� “Treat everyone equally with respect since we are all human and have emotions” hajan)“Hard work leads to success; when you put your mind to something and really focus, you can achieve anything” (Emma Bartoli) hard or showing effort overrides not believing in yourself every time” (Caroline Yohe) �� “Hitting a baseball is the hardest thing
“We make our own destiny; there is no higher power forcing us to live one way or another. We are responsible for everything ing everyone the way you want to be treated” (Owen Olbers) �� “Nothing” (Connor Johnson) �� “It’s important to try new things rich Nietzsche-- We have art so that we shall not die of reality” (Mrs. Kroul)” �� “The Benjamin School is a community I feel comfortable resa Gorman) �� “Auburn is the best college football team” (Johnny Ferguson) �� “School should not be a thing” (Violet Waxman) “Kindness comes from within”(Singita Chopra) �� “Chick-fil-A and Bolay are the best fast food restaurants” (Keira Compiani) it is needed, instead of just struggling silently” (Alexa Tobias) �� “You’re responsible for all of your actions and you have to allow haraj) �� “Work is good for the soul. (Mr. Rubiano)“Time is money” (Anjali Patel) �� “Practice makes perfect” (Kate Quinlivan) too” (Dr. Peruggia) �� “All people are born free and equal” (Ms. Hamilton) �� “I believe in loyalty” (Bryce Seger) �� “Being negative �� “Everyone ends up where they are meant to be” (Sienna Barboni) �� “Comparison is the thief of joy” (Kenna Kujawa)
(Ishe Makoni) �� “Bacon makes everything taste better“ (Ms. Donnelly) �� “Your mom should always be your number one best lison Bailey) �� “Boston is too far away from Palm Beach” (Isabella Anthon) �� “History is the best class” (James Wright) �� good in every day” (Chase Zur) �� “The Mets will win a World Series in my lifetime” (Mackie Savage) �� “There is good in (Mr. Alvarez) �� “In the ideology of wishbones, where someone’s worst day could be another’s best day. I also believe in the idea smoke for years, then the result of getting lung cancer is unavoidable” (Sophia Lapter) �� “I think football is the ultimate team �� “The government does stuff we don’t know about” (Ellie Donald) �� “Everyone’s dream will come true if they have the drive
“Pineapples are not good on pizza” (Ashley Petrelli) �� “The American Dream” (Catalina Sanchez) �� “Karma is real” (Lucy David“Life doesn’t happen to you, it happens for you” (Ava Seested) �� “The Mets are always going to be bad” (Kevin Clancy) �� “I be�� “I should go home right now” (Cacki Pearsall) �� “Love” (Ella Guagliano) �� “We will win” (Jayrell Peoples)“ �� Cocohigher power in our world” (Annabelle Bridger) �� “Ice-cream fixes everything” (Haley Roth) �� “Patience is the most important (Nate Sheehan) �� “Everything happens for a reason” (Iris Hoffman) �� “Country is the best genre of music” (Penelope MaBartoli) �� “Seed oils are bad for your metabolic health” (Mrs. Hewitt) �� “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take; working thing to do in sports” (Cohen Roach) �� “Chocolate is the best medicine” (Mrs. Badolati) �� “John Pork is real” (Chase Connor) we do and must reap the rewards or suffer the consequences.” (Sage Ponchock) �� “Golf is a sport” (Sydney Beach) �� “Treatthings in life” (Sebastian Scapperotto) �� “We should be allowed to chew gum” (Samantha Haueisen) �� “The words of Friedcomfortable in” (Zach Chait) �� “Pineapple is good on pizza” (Ella Ventzek) �� “All mainstream music sounds the same” (TeWaxman) �� “Most people are good, and the world is a beautiful place” (Mrs. Wendler) �� “I will be great” (Rocco Grande) �� �� “In Tua and the Miami Dolphins, but not Mike McDaniel” (Hunter Davis) �� “In the power of reaching out for help when allow yourself to be accountable for all of the choices you make” (Ms. Naik) �� “You can believe in multiple religions” (Deven MaQuinlivan) �� “People spend a lot of time and money trying to make it into other peoples’ hearts; they need to work it into their minds negative will never lead to a positive outcome” (Sofia Balisteri) �� “Everyone is equal given the same opportunities” (Liam Duffy) “You are what you eat” (Cassidy Walsh) �� “Every interest is valid. (Annabelle Person) �� “Everyone has their own purpose” best friend” (Kiki Duffy) �� “One Direction is going to get back together” (Liv Heurich) �� “Diet Coke is the best drink” (Al�� “Everyone was created equal and has equal rights” (Cameron Jacobs) �� “Everyday may not be good, but there is something others” (Caroline Welke) �� “There is nothing that hard work cannot overcome” (Dr. Haley) �� “We should smile everyday idea of fate, in the sense that if someone were to take an action, then their consequence is inevitable. Like if someone chooses to sport” (Brody Riback) �� “People should not bring up the past” (Aubren Wilson) �� “Foxes are the best animals” (Isla Brawn) drive to make it happen” (Tommy Morrissey) �� “Chicken is yummy” (Anthony Zito) �� “In pinky promises” (Izzy Lazo) ��
Opinion: School vaccine mandates’ repeal is dangerous
Isabella Anthon Associate Editor
History has repeatedly shown that diseases and viruses pose a significant threat to society. Yet, last month in Tallahassee, state officials announced plans to eliminate vaccine mandates in public schools. This decision poses a serious risk to children’s health, as would the Benjamin School’s adapting its policies to match a subsequent school district-wide change.
Vaccines exist for good reason, and the impact of a repeal would be detrimental to the health of children across Florida. They are about saving lives and limiting exposure to disease. The World Health Organization estimates that vaccines have saved nearly 154 million people in fifty years alone. Imagine how many peo-
ple never would’ve made it to graduation. Mandates, such as those requiring vaccines, are based on a statistical analysis of the benefits and harms, determining the benefit to society as a whole (or, on a smaller scale, to a school) versus the harms to a subset of individuals.
Additionally, with fewer people protected from these diseases, hospitals could fill with cases that should be preventable, creating a domino effect. A UCLA study shows that occupancy rates at medical centers nationwide have increased to around 75% since 2020.
The motives of the politicians motioning for these changes are arguably the most insulting aspect of the potential repeal. Today’s political landscape shows that members of both parties drive their decisions based not on public well-being, but on posturing. There is no point in at-
tacking others when one ultimately shares a common goal.
The WHO estimates that vaccines have saved nearly 154 million people in the last fifty years.
Florida Surgeon General Joseph Labado discussed the subject alongside Governor Ron DeSantis earlier this month. They announced on September 3 that a vote on repealing vaccine mandates for children in schools will take place. While some mandates are written into Florida state law and require a vote to be removed, those for chickenpox and hepatitis B are not.
As a private school, The Benjamin School can establish its own policies, except for those related to the COVID-19 vaccine requirements. It
states that, “...immunizations must be in compliance with the State of Florida requirements.” Students must submit a Certificate of Immunization and or a Religious Exemption Form. However, the school’s policy is advised under a medical director as well as the Palm Beach County School District. This means that if the school district changes under state law, so will TBS.
Assistant Head of School Dr. Kristin Sheehan said, “Our medical director, Dr. Matese, will wait to see if there are any changes, and we will follow what they do.”
One can only hope and insist that lawmakers’ decisions are not made for ulterior motives, especially those driven by political grandstanding. The state, or worse, the school, would be sending itself back to the 1950s, when vaccines for polio, chickenpox, and hepatitis B did not exist.
Opinion: The true digital divide? Students and teachers living in two very different digital landscapes
Haley Roth Co-Editor-in-Chief
Are we in a world where one person’s “innovation” is another person’s “fabrication”?
As AI becomes more common in the world of education and learning, various questions arise about proper use by both teachers and students. Tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini have become extremely popular for researching, planning, and even doing busywork. While these AI apps can be extremely helpful, decreasing the amount of time spent on a project, their use can create a sort of double standard for different groups of people. To some, it appears that a difference exists in the definitions of what is a valid use of AI by teachers and by their students. The perception that teachers are able to use AI more freely than their students raises concerns about fairness and equality. Although many teachers and administrators use AI to plan lessons, write commentaries and assignments, and grade assessments, many students feel ashamed and fear punishment for using those same platforms for learning and writing. Why does it seem like there is an AI double standard in our community?
Notably, equity in AI use is a principle espoused in The Benjamin School Student Parent Handbook: “With the recent introduction of AI as a readily available resource to our students, both students and faculty must be very clear in their communications regarding acceptable and unacceptable use of AI resources to write or enhance a student’s own work. Students who do not adhere to the established parameters of an as-
the PHARCYDE
Founded in 1980 as The Spectator
31 October 2025 Volume 47, Issue 1
The Benjamin School 4875 Grandiflora Road Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 33418
Contact Information
Phone: 561-472-5998, ext. 2119
Fax: 561-691-8823
Advisor Dr. John Peruggia
john.peruggia@thebenjaminschool.org
Advisor Emeritus
Mr. Kendall Didsbury
signment and are found to have used and passed off AI resources as their own may be charged with violating the Honor Code.”
Teachers have been praised and encouraged to use AI for their dayto-day tasks in order to become more efficient. “I think that teachers can use AI. I would definitely say it has appropriate and inappropriate uses. I think that we should give teachers a degree of privilege to be more efficient, to cover more ground, and to take care of small paperworking issues,” stated Upper School Academic Dean Mr. Andrew Curtis.
The reality is that we exist in a society where educational tools such as reading guides, quizzes, lesson plans, and more are rapidly transitioning from being teacher-generated to AI-created. The popular opinion is that this is innovative and modern, helping teachers with timing and allowing them to put more focus on other enriching activities and assignments.
“[I use AI] all the time, all day, every day. It's now become such common use [that] I don’t think about how often I use AI. It’s just one of those extra tools. I use it to help me brainstorm, to check for authenticity of students’ work, and to help me come up with generative quizzes. It has all become so second nature. It's not replacing my thought process, it just helps me learn how I can improve my own writing and tonality,” explained Director of Educational Technology, Dr. Amanda Pierman.
Upper School History and Social Sciences Teacher, Ms. Shweta Naik, discusses the push to use AI, “The biggest pressure to use AI is the limited amount of time. I want to have really cool activities and lessons, but to build everything from scratch takes a significantly larger portion of time.”
EDITORIAL BOARD
Haley Roth, Co-Editor in Chief
Reid Waxman, Co-Editor in Chief Chase Zur, Co-Editor in Chief
Isabella Anthon, Associate Editor
STAFF WRITERS
Annabel Brown
Sienna Wrigley
PHOTOGRAPHY
Phoebe Apple
Mr. Jeremy Ferris
DIGITAL DOMAIN
The Pharcyde maintains a digital presence online at www.thepharcyte.com. The site is hosted by SNO Sites.
If the use of AI has become normalized for teachers, why does it remain so stigmatized for most students?
In the educational lives of students, AI use has become a major taboo, with many students using these platforms labeled as cheaters and getting into serious trouble. In practice, most of these students are doing the same as teachers: using AI for homework help, writing, and idea generation, and are sometimes punished harshly, usually being suspended or getting zeroes for their choices.
Honor Council Advisor, Mrs. Suzanne McCambridge, shares how AI misuse from students is dealt with, “From an Honor Council perspective, we want students to use it [AI] as a beneficial tool for learning and for productivity. Students have to know, in advance, the teacher’s expectations. We follow precedent. Our consequences are often based on cases prior to the one that comes up. Often, there is a grade reduction, there could possibly be detentions, and we usually ask them to write a letter of apology. Those are typical consequences for AI usage.”
While all of these punishments and accusations may create a negative connotation about AI, many students are using these platforms to work smarter, not to cheat.
In a survey of 15 A Period Study Hall students, 86% of students reported using AI and found it helpful for schoolwork, while 14% did not use it or found it unhelpful.
One student who participated in the poll stated, “I use AI to help me study for assessments, but I don’t ask it to do my work for me.”
These very different ways AI use is received based on the user’s role -- teacher or student-- suggest an unfairness and a double standard. If
MISSION STATEMENT
teachers are buying into the use of AI as a tool to help with efficiency and learning, how is it fair that students, too, cannot take advantage of these benefits?
As AI has become almost forbidden for students, the concept also limits students from learning how to use it in a positive and helpful way. If students are not allowed to utilize AI freely, this could create more dishonesty and a lack of responsibility with the tool. This double standard also creates distrust and resentment between the two groups as students question teachers for using the same tool they denounce in class.
While this double standard can be seen as unfair, it can also be viewed as necessary to ensure honesty and authentic work. Students may have a greater ability to misuse AI as an idea generation tool rather than a learning assistance tool, which could be an issue for their academics and growth as people.
One use of AI that would be considered inappropriate for students would be using the application to create a topic sentence for an English or history essay. This would be an issue because topic sentences are supposed to be authentic, original, and creative. But, is there really a difference between students doing this and teachers using AI to craft a comment on a progress report or formulate an interesting hook for a college recommendation? This concern of a double standard is valid, as many teachers use AI to do exactly this. Is it not beneficial to teach students how to ethically and appropriately use AI, rather than banning it?
The education system must grow and change with this new technology, not fight and avoid it. Today’s seniors may become the school’s next teachers and college counselors.
The Pharcyde is a student newspaper produced to foster an open dialogue about topics that relate to The Benjamin School. The issues that appear throughout our pages may be light-hearted or serious, but regardless we aim to reflect the diversity of opinion within our school that we value so deeply.
GENERAL
The Pharcyde, the Upper School newspaper of The Benjamin School, is published four times a year. Copies of The Pharcyde are distributed to approximately 470 students and 60 faculty members and are available in the Upper School office.
The Pharcyde encourages submission of Letters to the Editor. Send your feedback, criticism, or outside opinions in 150 words or fewer to chase.zur@thebenjaminschool.org
The Pharcyde reserves the right to edit all letters for length, grammar, and clarity.
OPINION
The opinion articles in this paper are the opinion of the writer or the majority opinion of The Pharcyde Editorial Board. They are not the opinion of The Benjamin School or our advertisers.
“In my time at Benjamin, having graduated in 2017, AI wasn't really a thing on campus. When it came to getting help on assignments, there was thesaurus.com for vocabulary, Wikipedia for history, and for math, there was Wolfram Alpha to solve problems. Some students would even Google research paper or essay prompts and found full documents loaded with prompts and words,” explain US History Teacher Mr. Zachary Rubiano. “Now, with a variety of AI databases like ChatGPT, we see vast quantities of student work being done for you at the press of a button. This new introduction of AI has changed things, and how students use their brains to analyze, even going so far as to use ChatGPT to create questions to ask ChatGPT. This change with AI has altered a lot, as back at my time here, you had to at least know the questions you wanted to Google and research, now students can simply ask ChatGPT for them, erasing even some of the part of critical thinking that goes into looking for answers.”
The double standard between how teachers and students are allowed to use AI in the classroom has become unignorable. Many teachers use AI to help them do their jobs, while shaming students who do practically the same thing. While AI can be difficult to manage and contain, it is worthwhile to teach students how to use it effectively and fairly, ensuring they get clear guidelines and allowance to learn more about these tools. If this occurs, both teachers and students could gain something from the use of AI tools in their everyday lives. As AI becomes a much more prominent and improved means of productivity, it should be allowed for all types of people, not just those leading the class.
QUOTATION POLICY
Anyone interviewed by The Pharcyde has the chance to correct and edit his or her quotations before the paper goes to press. If he or she would like to change his or her interview before publication, he or she can contact the student who interviewed hum or her and request to restage the interview.
MEMBERSHIP
More than slideshows: summer science presentations provide insight and inspiration
Chase Zur Co-Editor-in-Chief
The Upper School sat captivated as seven students shared their research experiences at the annual summer science presentations on Thursday, September 25, highlighting the projects they pursued over the break from school.
More than just the scientific topics that were shared, the presentations served as a great way for students to practice public speaking and for the broader community to see how pursuing curiosity outside the classroom can shape confidence, clarify passions, and point toward possible futures.
Junior Adian McCorkle, who took an online course at Rice University on genome engineering, felt that the experience was a great way for him to dive deeper into the con-
cept. “When I was a kid, I thought that you could tweak a few genes and become a superhero. However, after this course, I realized that you can become a superhero from being the person who can figure out how to tweak those genes. The impacts of Genome Engineering are limitless and I was so glad that I was able to dive deeper and learn about editing genes to our advantage,” McCorkle expressed. Similarly to McCorkle, freshman Cameron Lencheski gained much more than academic knowledge from her experience at the West Point STEM camp. “I come from a military family, so I have always had an urge to serve my country, whether directly or indirectly. The West Point STEM Camp allowed me to experience the Army way of life while also working in engineering, which I plan to study in college. I loved having the oppor-
tunity to see a college campus while pursuing what I am interested in because it showed me a glimpse of what my future could be like,” Lenchenski said.
Like Lencheski, sophomore Sofia Lapter participated in a pre-college program, Georgia Tech’s iDtech program, where she had the opportunity to dive deeper into the complexities of artificial intelligence. “This course helped me realize that I’m really interested in neuroscience. I’m so happy that I had this early exposure because I feel like I have a head start in understanding the field and what it might be like to study it more seriously in the future,” Lapter said.
Securing these opportunities is no easy feat. While the selectivity varies, each student that presented had to submit some form of an application in which they explained why they wanted to participate in the program.
For junior Evan Wang, that process led him to a seven-week internship at UF Scripps Biomedical Research in the laboratory of Professor Gavin Rumbaugh’s lab, a leading neuroscientist whose work focuses on developmental brain disorders such as autism and intellectual disability with a special emphasis on the gene SYNGAP1.
Wang noted that the mentorship aspect of the internship was the most beneficial to his growth.
“Being mentored by a professional in the field that I am interested in was such an eye-opening experience. I also learned so much from the students I worked with. I learned about what they were doing outside of school and how they were taking their interest in science outside of the
classroom. Not only did it give me new ideas to get involved with, but it also taught me valuable insight that I will surely be using when applying to college next year. I realized that it’s not about pursuing a bunch of different activities, but rather to focus your resume into an area that you are interested in. With junior year ahead of me, I am excited to find new opportunities and continue to explore my passion for science,” Wang shared.
These presentations certainly have a scientific focus. However, Director of College Counseling, Mrs. Anna Wright notes that there are these types of opportunities for every discipline.
“Admissions officers like to see students that can take classroom learning and apply it to the real world. So, if you are interested in geology, take an extra geology course, if you are interested in architecture, try and find a program that could deepen your understanding. It doesn’t matter what the focus is, but rather that students show that true passion. As far as the programs go, we don’t know whether a particular college will view a pre-college experience as “impressive” but we do know that they will appreciate the students' drive to learn and intellectual curiosity’’ Wright explained.
Overall, it’s clear that each student walked away with more than an extra bullet point to their resume or a particular skill. They gained perspective, learning what excites them, what challenges them, and in some cases what directions they may or may not want to pursue in the future.
“ J
Phar-Eats: Fall into flavor with these eight autumnal treats from Trader Joe’s ulian Luiz
I’m always busy now because after school it’s basically just sports for me all the time, and I really enjoy football and track, and it’s just been a big part of my life. I started playing football when I was little, and I've played various positions, including receiver, safety, corner, and even quarterback when I was young. I’ve just stuck with it every year because I liked it. In middle school, I played linebacker, and I had a season where we went undefeated, which was really fun and kind of showed me how much I loved it. Then, in high school, I continued playing, and I was able to get time on both the JV and varsity teams, which was exciting because it showed that the coaches trusted me in a lot of different spots. I like the challenge of being able to do multiple positions and still try to be good at them because it pushes me to get better, and I’ve always been competitive with my brother, and that kind of keeps me going, too.
Track is the other side for me because I’ve always liked running and competing there too, and it’s something I’ve worked at a lot. I started running when I was younger, and then, when I reached middle school and high school, I began to take it more seriously. I’ve done sprints and relays, but I’ve also tried hurdles and longer distances, and each one feels different, like it teaches you something new about yourself. Track for me doesn’t feel like a job; it’s more something I enjoy doing because you can see the times get better, and when you hit a goal, it feels excellent. It’s like football in that way because both take a lot of hours, and you realize that talent only takes you so far; you’ve got to put in the effort every day. I think that’s what I’ve learned most from both football and track, that if you really want to get somewhere you have to keep working at it and keep enjoying it, and that’s what I try to do every season.
”
Haley Roth Co-Editor-in-Chief
When the leaves begin to change colors, the air becomes crisper, and sweaters and boots are necessary (well, in most places that are not South Florida), the beginning of the fall season can be expected. This shift marks many exciting changes and activities. One of these developments is the revealing of Trader Joe’s new fall line of snacks, baked goods, and drinks. These treats are a staple of the season, bringing the first tastes of cinnamon, pumpkin, and spice to the customers of Trader Joe’s. Here are some of the best items to purchase if you want to truly feel like the leaves are changing and the air is getting crisp around you:
Maple Leaf Ice Cream Sandwiches
These ice cream sandwiches have gone viral this year, and for good reason. The sweet maple cookie partnered with the cold and slightly salty ice cream makes a wonderfully balanced bite. This treat is especially perfect for Florida, as it allows for all of the fall flavors while still keeping you cool in the heat.
Price: $3.99
Apple Tart
This treat can be found in the frozen aisle of Trader Joe’s. With a flaky, buttery crust, sweet and caramelized apples, and a topping of almond streusel, this tart is the perfect sweet treat to end a night. Paired with vanilla ice cream, this tart creates all of the comfy and cozy fall vibes.
Price: $5.99
Pumpkin Brioche Twist
This bread is a classic buttery brioche, but with a few fall additives. With swirls of cinnamon and a very strong taste of pumpkin, it is absolutely delicious. This bread would be amazing toasted or even made into a French toast.
Price: $4.99
Apple Pie Spread
Trader Joe’s jams and spreads never disappoint, and this one was no different. While this spread is extremely sweet, it has a very nice balance of apples and cinnamon that would make a very versatile topping. It would be a very nice addition to taste, or even pancakes and waffles.
Price: $3.99
Salted Maple Cold Foam Creamer
This is the perfect topper or cream for both hot and cold coffees this fall season. It is not overly sweet or salty, and has the perfect flavor of maple that does not feel artificial. This cold foam will balance out your coffee while also providing richness.
Price: $4.49
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
While this may sound like an interesting pairing, this mac and cheese does not disappoint. It is cheesy, gooey, and has hints of sage and thyme. The squash adds the perfect sweetness to this dish and pushes it over the edge in terms of flavor.
Price: $3.79
Pumpkin-Flavored Joe Joe’s
These sandwich cookies are great snacks or even desserts. The cookies were soft, the center was full of pumpkin, and the icing had a mixture of spices that create a fall feeling in every bite.
Price: $4.49
Frosted Pumpkin Toaster Pastries
These flaky, buttery toaster pastries are the perfect sweet fall breakfast. The pumpkin filling was sweet and spicy, but not too overpowering. The icing on top left the perfect sweet aftertaste that made these pastries so delicious.
Price: $2.69
If you are interested in other places with fall menus or items, be sure to check out Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts, and Whole Foods.
Rustic
Humans of
The Benjamin Upper School
Nikki Walsh, Aidan McCorkle, Evan Wang, Mili Mohanty, Elle Derby, Cameron Lencheski, and Sophia Lapter take a break from rehearsing their talks to pose for a group picture. (Photo by Jeremy Ferris)
Senior Nikki Walsh presents her work on bio sensors.
Junior Evan Wang presents his work on genetic brain disorders.
Sophomore Elle Derby described her summer science program.
Junior Mili Mohanty explained the results of her independent research.
Junior Aidan McCorkle spoke about genomic engineering.
Sophomore Cameron Lencheski discussed her West Point summer.
Sophomore Sophia Lapter explained her work on AI.
Just keep
running: cross-country seniors ready to cross the recruitment finish line, lace up for post-season meets
Haley Roth Co-Editor-in-Chief
Chase Zur Co-Editor-in-Chief
Long runs, interval workouts, and weekend races have defined much of the past four years for seniors Gavin Venoff and Sofia Balisteri. The mileage and discipline carried them through state meets, personal records, and eventually the attention of college coaches. Next year, Venoff will join Union College’s program, and Balisteri will compete for Northwestern, the culmination of two different but equally demanding recruiting paths.
For Venoff, the idea of running in college started to take shape halfway through high school. “After my sophomore year of cross country, the idea of wanting to commit to running came into my head, but it wasn’t until junior year of track that I was sold on the idea of committing,” Venoff expressed.
Once Venoff had decided he wanted to continue his athletic career, he began the recruiting process. This process spans multiple years and has various steps that ensure the athlete fits both the academic and athletic profile of the school.
“You first have to be able to or be trending toward the team of interests standards, which you can see on runRecurit. You usually will email the coach, hoping for a response, and then have a phone call with the coach, and if that goes well, then the coach will ask for a pre-read to see the likelihood of you getting into the school,” explains Venoff. “Following this, I had a visit to meet the coaches of a couple of schools, which included tours of the campuses and time with the coaches. After this, which I did at the beginning of the summer, the school, if interested, would email/text asking if I was interested in doing an overnight with the team and seeing how school worked, and then, while talking to the coach after
the overnight, he offered me a spot on the [Union College] team, which I accepted.”
The process was fairly similar for Balestreri: “I began emailing coaches during the summer after my sophomore year and then throughout my junior year. In the summer after my junior year, I ran at nationals and ran a PR [personal record], getting me even more attention. I then attended official visits to my top schools in September and decided to commit after visiting Northwestern.”
While the recruiting process looks similar for most athletes, one aspect that is different is the division. Like most sports, cross country runners can choose or qualify to go D1, D2, or D3, depending on their times and grades.
Northwestern is part of the Big Ten Conference for cross country, meaning Balestreri will be participating in D1 athletics. The distinction and prestige of this program are two of the reasons Balestreri decided to commit.
“A big thing for me was the conference; being in the Big 10 would have incredible opportunities in track with the best competition. The facilities were amazing, and the coaches were so involved in the success of the runners and their development. They really care about their athletes and want them to be healthy and succeed,” Balestreri explained.
Venoff decided to go to Union College, a Division 3 school, because of its reputation. “I know people who were successful after attending Union, and like the idea of having people that I know before I step foot on campus and having a group of people you can rely on throughout college,” Venoff said.
Both of these athletes were encouraged and supported by their coaches, who guided them through the recruiting process.
Venoff shared how his coaches made a difference in his experience: “Coach Bailey and Coach Smith were
very supportive in the process, giving their own opinions on each of the schools and helping me find where I would fit best. Coach Saunders, Coach B, and Coach Ward definitely held me to a higher standard when they knew I wanted to get to the next level, pushing me even harder than they already did.”
As Balestreri and Venoff move on to this next chapter of cross-country running, they look forward to new coaches, teammates, and experiences at their respective universities.
“I really love competing and running, and I cannot wait to continue in college,” Balestreri exclaimed.
Venoff had similar remarks, sharing,“I hope to get faster and be able to see places I thought I wouldn’t be able to see as a result of running.”
The cross country recruiting process proved to be challenging but completely worthwhile for these two atheletes. We wish them the best of luck as they represent the Wildcats and Chargers in their future races!
Senior night serves up memorable moment for injured captain as volleyball team charges through early post-season matches
Reid Waxman Co-Editor-in-Chief
When senior Brenna Hasey stepped behind the service line on Senior Night, the scoreboard didn’t matter. Her teammates on the bench were watching the player who had spent months cheering for them finally return on the court. With a torn ACL and a brace wrapped tightly around her knee, Hasey’s serve wasn’t about competition, but about her love for the game and the Benjamin girls' volleyball team.
Junior Lila Brodner has been friends with Hasey for longer than she can remember. Brodner talked about how the moment perfectly captured how much Brenna means to the team.
“I was so excited for Brenna to serve. She worked so hard for her PT, and I was so proud of her,” Brodner said. “She is such a crucial part of the team. Although she isn’t on the court, she is the one who never stops believing.”
Coach Clarke watched Brenna evolve from a captain on the floor to a mentor on the sidelines.
“Seeing [Hasey] in a coaching role was really impressive,” Clarke noted. “She is a great leader. I love how she leads by example. She is setting up the net before every practice, first one getting the girls riled up before a game, and she brought the energy every day,” Clarke remarked.
For Hasey, the injury became more than just a physical setback, but it reshaped how she viewed the game and her role within it.
“This injury has taught me to never take things for granted because it’s not always guaranteed. If someone told me after my junior season that I would be out for nine months and miss my senior year, I would’ve told you that would never be the case. It’s helped my love for the game grow a lot, and it gives me a goal to get back during PT,” Hasey stated.
Her teammates felt that dedication every single day, especially Sophomore Kiki Duffy.
“I can tell Brenna wants to play so badly. She is at every practice, always helping, no matter what. She is the first to get there and last to leave. I really appreciate everything she does for the team,” Duffy explained.
Coach Clarke saw this full-circle moment as something that the entire team will remember.
“Coming back from her ACL injury, this was the date we had circled on the calendar for her to get back on the court again,” Clarke said. “It worked out perfectly that we got to serve first so that she could get out there, but she wasn’t supposed to get back out on the court after she served, but she did, and she got to dig a ball. It was awesome to see.”
For Hasey, that serve represented everything she had worked toward. It wasn’t a farewell, but a symbol of her connection to the sport she loves.
“The serve meant so much to me. It was a little emotional because it marked the beginning and ending of my senior season, but I couldn’t have asked for a better moment,” Hasey said. “If I could decide to serve that night or not, I would 100% serve.”
That single serve wasn’t just the end of a season, but it was the perfect example of what it means to play for something bigger than yourself.
Owen Olbers, Gavin Venoff, Sofia Balisteri, and Kenna Kujawa pose for Senior group portrait. The foursome joins fellow Class of 2026ers London Allen, Desmon Flemming to guide the cross country program. (Photo by Jeremy Ferris)
Seniors Sofia Balisteri and Kenna Kujawa lead a pack of cross country runners across Theofilos Field during their home meet. While the two upperclassmen, along with London Allen, are racing their final 5ks as Bucs this season, the team is poised to continue its successes thanks to a large squad of enthusiastic female athletes, including junior standouts Ziva Garaj and Isabella Downey. (Photo by Jeremy Ferris)
Senior Gavin Venoff seems cool as he passes a winded competitor during a recent cross country race. (Photo by Jeremy Ferris)
Senior volleyball team members join Coach Alex Clarke to celebrate Senior Night. (Photo by Jeremy Ferris)
Brenna Hasey serves up a ball during her Senior Night match. (Photo by Jeremy Ferris)
Reid Waxman Co-Editor-in-Chief
Friday Night Lights were on once again on Friday, Oct. 17th at Theofilos Field. The Buccaneers’ homecoming game was against the King’s Academy Lions. The Bucs came up short, though, 12-13, snapping the Lions’ four-game losing streak.
The Bucs entered the game with a 3-4 record, coming off two straight bye weeks.
“We were definitely energized and ready to go out there and fight right off the bat,” senior Keelan Underwood declared.
The game against the Lions began defensively. By the end of the first half, the score was 6-0. The lone touchdown was a 22-yard pass from senior and starting quarterback Charlie Smith, throwing on the run to senior and wide receiver Kaden Faniel.
“That first touchdown was a big confidence booster on the field and on the sidelines. Everyone was hype on the sideline, and I feel like if we had more of the hype and morale throughout the game, we would have come out with a win,” Faniel noted.
During halftime, the crowd celebrated the announcement of the Homecoming Court, as the Dazzlers and the cheerleaders kept the energy alive under the Friday night lights. Senior Bryce Seger talked about how it was her last time dancing at the homecoming game.
“Dancing has been so fun for me, especially at the football games. I’ve always loved football, even though I have almost no clue about what’s going on during the games. At halftime, though, I helped choreograph the dance for this game, along with the other seniors on the Dazzlers,” Seger noted. “This was my favorite dance we’ve ever done, in my opinion.”
After halftime, morale plummeted. With a second half filled with penalties, turnovers, and punts, the Lions put up 13 points. Both of the touchdowns were by quarterback Fletcher Hodges, who rushed for 154 yards.
“It was tough to stop him. I saw from both the sidelines and on the field how we approached stopping him. He just had a really great game, and we did all we could in my opinion,” senior Julian Luiz said.
Football team, fans get dusted by cross-county rivals as Bucs fall to Kings Academy 12-13 in close Homecoming Game
Luiz, in the second half, went down with a leg injury and was out for the rest of the second half.
Although a late rushing touchdown from senior Chancellor Reddick put the game at 12-13, Coach Belser decided to go for two points. The pass play was unsuccessful, and that was the game’s last score.
“To be honest, our defense held strong through most of the game. We forced multiple punts and limited the Lions’ passing attack,” Reddick said.
The hard-fought game against the Lions showed the Bucs were not only determined until the final whistle, but also prepared for it.
“We knew this was going to be a gritty game. We wanted to run the ball throughout the entire game, but they just ran the ball better, and they defended our run better,” senior Charlie Smith said. “It felt good when we scored our first touchdown.”
Similar to Smith, Sophomore Kamden Gillis feels the same way.
“It was a tough loss. I knew we could have played better. We tried out everything to combat Kings’ tough defense to understand. We tried passing more in the second half, and it worked well only for a little bit,” Gillis noted. “All in all, we had many chances to take control of the game and missed them.”
Although it was a rough loss, those in the student section still appreciated how hard the football team worked throughout the game.
“I thought that it was a good game. Even though it was a little boring at the start with only one score in the first half, we had such a fun time in the student section cheering on the Bucs,” junior Matthew Null said.
The student section’s support and enthusiasm impacts the players on the fields, according to Senior Terrion Ivy-Akins supports the student section’s effort.
“Whenever we are not doing too well on the field and we’re not in the highest of spirits, we always have the
student section to help us. They support us no matter what. When we play games at home, it’s a comfortable environment for us to be in,” Ivy-Akins stated.
Although the final score didn’t favor the Bucs, the energy of Homecoming under the lights was palpable.
October 1, 2021
American Heritage - Win 28-22
October 28, 2022
SLAM Academy - Win 85-0
October 27, 2023
Ed White - Win 35-8
October 4, 2024
Seminole Ridge - Win 56-12
October 17, 2025 King's Academy - Lost 12-13
left: The Upper School dance team, the Dazzlers, entertains the large Homecoming crowd moments before kick-off. Their pre-game routine was just one of the many they performed during the match.
Bottom left: The cheerleading squad raises the energy on Theofilos Field during their half-time performance, featuring dance, cheers, and aerial acrobatics.
Below: The 2025-2026 Homecoming Court was introduced during half-time at the game. This year’s group consisted of three pairs of Senior King and Queen nominees and a Junior pair (Nick Skillin and Eryn Miller). At Saturday’s dance, this year’s King and Queen were announced: Johnny Havlicek and Taylor Nicklaus. The Court included (pictured left to right) Seniors Alyssa Stump, RJ Pierman, London Allen, and Owen Olbers.
Senior Chancellor Reddick carries the ball for a long gain.
(Photo by Jeremy Ferris)
Senior Kaden Faniel dances in the end-zone after scoring the first touch-down of the game with a 22-yard reception from quarterback Charlie Smith. (Photo by Jeremy Ferris)
Sophomore Kamden Gillis avoids defenders as he runs toward the end-zone pylon to set up the Buc’s first scoring play.
(Photo by Jeremy Ferris)
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(Photos by Jeremy Ferris)
Before the game kicks off, the refs have a quick chat with the Bucs’ team captains on the sidelines. (Photo by Jeremy Ferris)
the PHLIPCYDE
Phar-Eats: Mummy Dogs
Looking for a dish that’s spooky, savory, and easy to make? Try making Mummy Dogs, a Halloween rendition of the classic hotdog. Follow the hauntingly good recipe down below… if you dare:
You will need:
* Hotdogs
* Crescent roll dough
* Edible eyes or a condiment of choice
* Nonstick baking sheet
Steps for making Mummy Dogs:
* Preheat your oven to 375 degrees
* Remove your crescent roll dough from its packaging and lay it down so that it is a horizontal rectangle. If you bought the perforated kind, press down of the perforations to seal them together
* Cut your dough into ¼ inch wide strips going from top to bottom.
* Wrap dough around each hotdog in a zigzag pattern to mimic bandages. Make sure to overlap your dough strips and leave some of the hotdog uncovered for the Mummy’s face.
* Place each Mummy Dog on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
* Remove your Mummy Dogs from the oven and place two small dots of your preferred condiment on the uncovered hotdog for eyes (you can also use these dots to stick on candy eyes).
If you do all that, you’ll be left with a treat that will send a shiver of delight down the spine of all your guests. Serve your Mummy Dogs with your favorite dipping sauce and watch them vanish into the night.
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