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The
Brewster Browser
May 23, 2021 Wolfeboro, NH
by Tony Gleason ’21 and Mitchell McQuillan ’22
Remembering Terrence Clarke
class, and the best player in the state of Massachusetts. It was unheard of for someone to be so good at basketball to come out of the Boston area. Clarke’s lifelong goal was to put his city on the map for basketball talent. “I really want to do this for myself, but I also want to do this for my community because Boston has never been on the map,” said Clarke. After his freshman season at the Rivers School in Weston, Massachusetts, Clarke transferred to Brewster Academy where his basketball stardom continued. In his first year with the team, Clarke helped lead the Bobcats to the 2019 National Prep Championship. Later that year, on September 14th, Clarke announced he would be reclassifying to the class of 2020 and committed to the University of Kentucky, which he chose over other schools such as Duke, Boston College, Texas Tech, Memphis, and UCLA. As a five star prospect and eighth best player in the class of 2020, his next season was more of the same as Clarke averaged 18.3 points per game, 5.8 rebounds per game, and 3 assists while helping lead the Bobcats to a 34-3 record and the National Prep Finals, before being canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Clarke was then
Brewster’s Spring Musical: High School Musical
by Ploy Wangsrikhun ’21
High School Musical is chosen for this year’s spring musical directed and produced by Mr. Andy Campbell and Ms. Guinevere Hilton to fulfill the continuing students’ interest in the Disney show that most of us grew up watching. “We’re all in this together,” said Ms. Hilton referring to the ongoing world-shaking pandemic. She considers this year perfect timing for running a performance of such a famous story because the musical can be performed outdoors in front of the academic building to align with COVID policy during the pandemic and there are not a lot of props involved in the show. Mr. Campbell also adds that the movie’s soundtrack is great and fun. Because of COVID-19, each process of the musical changed accordingly. An email was sent in late March
announcing the start of auditions which were entirely online. Students who are interested in a role were required to send a recording of themselves performing and singing their desired role’s lines and soundtrack. Casting in the scenes we have Gabriella played by Alison Ansorg ’21, Troy by Khelsi Petigny ’22, Chad by Katie Carey ’22, Sharpay by Kalia Steede ’21, Ryan by Carlota Rahola Funallet ’21, Zeke by Sylvie Skibicki ’23, Taylor by Jade Hall ’22, Jack by Hunter DiVirgilio ’21 , Kelsi by Morgan Johnson ’22, Ms. Darbus by Jaila Richard ’22, Coach Bolton by Dylan Schultz ’22, and other pupils and faculty members. After the audition comes the rehearsals and the crew gathered in Anderson Hall in the afternoon on weekdays and weekends. The practice cont. on pg. 9
cont. on pg. 9
Kalia Steede ’21 and the cast of students rehearsing in front of the Academic Building. photo by Kaeli Bennett ’21
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A once possible NBA lottery pick, Terrence Clarke ‘20 was one of the most special alums in the history of Brewster Academy. His positive attitude and his remarkable drive on and off the court made him loved and appreciated by many. Clarke was one of the best basketball players in the Boston area from an early age. Sadly, we never got to see his full potential. On the night of April 22, the basketball community mourned and appreciated the life of Terrence Clarke, who had tragically passed away in a car accident in Los Angeles. Born in Dorchester on September 6th, 2001, his exceptional talent was witnessed by many at an early age. Clarke would spend as much time as possible working out and playing basketball at the Vine Street Community Center. “I lived at Vine Street,” said Terrence in a Boston Globe interview from 2019, “I would go there from 8 a.m. to work out, then I would get some food, come back, take a nap in the computer room, and then go back and play again.” He said he would even cry if he had to leave the gym. To Clarke, the community center was like a safe haven for him.
“I’ve been in the middle of shootouts, I’ve seen it all, but I was like, ‘If I stay in the gym, I can play basketball and have fun all day,” said Clarke. His hardcore work ethic, love for basketball, and his competitiveness payed off as even from a young age his talent was noticed. “His love for the game, you see it in very few kids. You know that he’s going to be something special,” said his former gym teacher at the Young Achievers Terrence Clarke attempts a free throw during a game vs St. Thomas More in Academy, BranMarch 2020, as teammate Javohn Garcia ’20 and coach Jason Smith look on. don Watson, who had him playing up with fourth and would later be compared to former NBA fifth graders as a second grader. All-Star, Tracy McGrady because of his Through his AAU, Expressions supreme athleticism. He became a top Elite, Clarke’s skills developed and he five recruit in the entire nation for his
Volume 43 Issue 5
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by Kaeli Bennett ’21
News Analysis
Debunking Vaccine Conspiracy Theories
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With vaccinations being distributed across the U.S. and other countries in great quantities only a few months after their creation and approval, it makes sense that people are skeptical. Covid-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in March 2020, so the fallout this year and last has been sudden and overwhelming. All Brewster students over 16 years of age — yes, even out of staters and international students — will be eligible to receive the Covid vaccine on campus the week of April 19, so addressing conspiracy theories and rumours is important now more than ever. While the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines were created in record time, they are safe and went through all approval processes necessary for distribution. The speedy creation was a result of prior research done on other coronaviruses that made this vaccine’s creation easier. In addition to the prior research done, clinical trials were performed with more than 70,000 people of varying backgrounds. These extensive safety precautions are what decreased lag time between funding, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) approval, and finally, distribution. Secondly, getting sick/having Covid-19 or allergy symptoms after receiving the vaccine is a good thing. It
Spencer Weinshank '21 receives his first shot of the Pfizer Vaccine in the Smith Center on April 21, with the help of Brewster nurse Dara St. Sauvuer.
means that the vaccine is working; the recipient is not actually contracting the virus. The vaccine works by introducing Covid-19 antibodies (the spikes on the outside of a Covid-19 pathogen), which induce the body’s immune response.
Now that Covid antibodies have been introduced to the body, virus fighters like white blood cells will recognize the real virus if it enters the body. Feeling sick and having symptoms is just an effect of this immune response:
Chauvin Convicted of Murder of George Floyd by Elisha-Grace King ’23
May 25, 2020, Minneapolis, MN. 46-year-old black man George Floyd is approached by police officers who had been called over concerns of a $20 counterfeit bill. Minutes later, veteran cop Derek Chauvin is videoed with his knee on Floyd’s neck, as Floyd repeatedly says, “I can’t breathe.” Shortly after, Floyd was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead, and Chauvin was placed under arrest. Ten months after hundreds of nationwide protests calling for an end to police brutality and systemic racism in American justice systems, Chauvin was on trial facing charges of murder in the second and third-degree and manslaughter. His charges of unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and seconddegree manslaughter hold sentences of 40, 25, and 10 years in state prison, respectively. On the side of the prosecution (led by Minnesota’s first black attorney general), lawyers alleged that Chauvin’s actions directly led to the death of Geroge Floyd. Chauvin’s defense claimed that an underlying heart condition and drug abuse are what
Activist photographed by Nicholas Pfosi (for the New York Times) outside the Hennepin County Government Center where Chauvin's trial took place.
ultimately caused his death. Floyd did have fentanyl and methamphetamine in his system at the time, and initially, those who did not regard Floyd’s death as a homicide believed it to be an overdose. Tensions ran high inside the courtroom as lawyers presented their
opening statements. Outside the courthouse, hundreds of activists lined up to take a knee for 8 minutes and 46 seconds to symbolize the time Chauvin had his knee on Floyd’s neck. Later in the first day of the trial, it was uncovered that Chauvin had his knee cont. on pg. 6
May 23, 2021
the vaccine doesn’t actually make the recipient sick, and the symptoms are nowhere near as bad or deadly as the real pathogen. Recently, anti-vaccine activists have been using the unrelated deaths of persons following their receptions of the Covid vaccine to further their cause. These accusations are false. The activists are using people who have died of old age or underlying health conditions after receiving the shot as their scapegoats. Looking at statistics, it may seem as though these antivaxxers are onto something. However, the populations receiving the vaccine and their states of health must be considered. The elderly and already atrisk populations are the ones receiving the vaccine at greater rates than healthy people as a result of vaccine roll-out in the U.S., and they are also the ones most likely to pass from natural causes. An additional conspiracy theory has to do with the nature of the vaccine and its inclusion of mRNA from the Covid-19 pathogen. Some are concerned that the mRNA will alter the recipient’s DNA, which is false. The spike on the outside of the Covid-19 pathogen (which cannot cause infection) is what enters the body in the vaccine, but it has no access to the nucleus of human cells, where DNA is stored. In addition, mRNA is broken down rapidly by the body, so it really has no time to alter DNA even if it had access. cont. on pg. 5
The Brewster Browser Brewster Academy Wolfeboro, New Hampshire
Managing Editor: Kaeli Bennett ’21 Nameplate art: Shemar Joseph ’19 Staff members: Hiba Al-Nabhani ’22 Tony Gleason ’21 Julia Golden ’22 Lilly Grace ’21 Elisha-Grace King ’23 Madigan Mansour ’21 Mitch McQuillan ’22 Alyson Nagorniak ’22 John Northrop ’24 Ploy Wangsrikhun ’21 Kate Zdunczyk ’22 Faculty Advisor: Jennifer Metcalfe Dumont From the Editors: The Browser is a student publication, written, edited and proofread by the students under the direction of the faculty advisor. The authors and editors take full responsibility for any errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar that may occur. THE BROWSER IS UNDERWRITTEN IN PART BY THE JON KONHEIM JOURNALISM AWARD.
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News
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Myanmar: A Mess that has Happened Before, Twice by John H. Northrop ’24
owned resources and the installment of single-party control. A new constitution would be adopted in 1974. These changes were enforced under the Burmese Way to Socialism, the official ideology of the new Burmese Socialist Programme Party (BSPP). The party’s leadership was mostly made up of military commanders who retired to rule through the party. The country was renamed the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma. Under the BSPP, the country became extraordinarily impoverished, and waves of protests began. However, these protests were sporadic and quickly put down, often violently. These beatdowns set a precedent for people’s resistance to military leadership. People slowly grew more discontent towards the government, building more and more tension. And this, combined with minor civil wars that had been raging since 1948, would explode in 1988, marking the end of the socialist rule over Myanmar. During the 1988 uprisings and mass protests for democracy, the military used violence and killed thousands of demonstrators. During this turbulent crisis, General Saw Maung staged yet another coup d’état, installing the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC). They declared martial law after the protests and marked a transition from the rule of the influence of the BSPP. They abolished all elements of government established in the 1974 constitution. This new government continued the human rights abuses seen under the BSPP; only they turned to a more conservative political stance. Myanmar continued under a military junta until the early 21st century. However, in 2008 the SLORC announced a national referendum, its goal to create a disciplined democracy. It allowed for the national elections under a new constitution, and the nation was renamed once again. The “Republic of the Union of Myanmar.” The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party won the election; however, multiple sources have described it as fraudulent. Nonetheless, the junta was officially dissolved. Since the election, Myanmar has gone on a path of liberalization and decentralization. However, the National League of Democracy would start gaining popularity, led by people like Aung San Suu Kyi, who was placed under house arrest from 1989 through 2010. It should be noted, however, that these brave souls pushing for democracy were not perfect. Aung San Suu Kyi would defend the military when they committed acts of violence against the Rohingya.
Tatmadaw personnel perfrom a military in the capital of Naypyidaw, far seperated from the majority of society. Behind lies the symbol of the military, which is also shown on their flag. This very same military commits acts of violence against minority groups and protesters.
The NLD would gain 43 out of 45 seats in the 2012 elections and win by a landslide in 2015. This ensured that the party’s members were elected President and Second Vice President. Following this election, the genuine transition of democracy came to the nation. But, all good things come to an end. In response to the 2020 elections, yet another coup d’état occurred under military command. Once again, the beginning of military rule came about, and they subsequently declared martial law. It would be appropriate at this time to view the culture of the Tatmadaw. Many could consider it a country within a country. In a nation of 54 million, the army comprises of over 500,000 soldiers, a large number for the nation’s size in terms of population. The soldiers live apart from civilians, in barracks far from civilian populations. Even the capital of the country is secluded, surrounded by dense jungle. Officers of the military marry the relatives of their comrades, making their fellow soldiers, essentially, their brothers. Within the ranks, the soldiers are told that they are a last bastion of Buddhism. Given this extensive inside culture, military members tend to view fellow compatriots as less than human, a mass of meat that refuses to follow orders. As we have seen, Myanmar ’s
history since independence is in many ways a tragedy. It was plunged into years of military rule, where protests are not tolerated. Any sign of dissidence will be met with harsh repercussions or a bullet in more literal terms. Civil protests run throughout Myanmar’s history, and multiple civil wars waged by ethnic minorities campaign for continued survival. In this constant state of instability, the military can justify its crackdowns and its actions against the people. This is helped by the current military culture, an army that sees itself above the common, unorderly populace and superior. But what is the future of this conflict. Will the people of Myanmar take back the reigns of this country? Or will the boot of the military squash resistance and break the will of the populace? Will the country explode into civil war, like that of Syria’s, with several factions fighting for various reasons? There are many possible outcomes, but there is no definite answer. After looking at the turbulent history of this country, it makes it easier to understand the reasons for this conflict. It is a conflict to prevent the rise of tyranny, to protect democracy. Or a war to reinstall order and avoid the descent into chaos. A people with everything to lose, against a military that risks losing everything.
Congratulations to the Class of 2021! New Brewster Alums!
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“Accompanied with justice and freedom, our nation, our motherland to bring peace to all people.” That is an excerpt, translated into English, from Kaba Ma Kyei, or Till the End of the World, the national anthem of Myanmar, a country that has been on the tipping point of authoritarianism. Ever since establishing an unstable parliamentary republic, there has been the looming prospect of a military takeover. How has it gotten to this point? Let’s start with the current day; Myanmar ’s military, the Tatmadaw (Army in Burmese), has engaged protesters with lethal force. Soldiers have shot dead protesters on the street. Even children are not spared from the military’s wrath. Given the delicate position the coup found itself in, it has to resort to extreme measures. And nationwide protests, especially those that attract international attention, can lead to several consequences beyond the control of the government. Therefore, the army uses everything at their hands, from scare tactics, lethal weaponry, and even torture, to disperse the rebels. And when several powerful nations have already condemned your country, what other choices are left? These actions taken by the armed forces, however, are not new to the country. The year is 1948, and Myanmar has been under Japanese occupation, beginning with an invasion in 1941. After liberation from the Japanese rule, the nation would be released from British colonial rule in 1948, since its original occupation in 1886. It is finally a free nation, free to choose its destiny. Well, that’s not true, as a new conflict was on the rise. This conflict was not a shooty-shooty pew-pew war, but a war of political plays, well-timed coups, and economics, the Cold War. And this war was not ideal for small, newly independent, post-colonial nations. During its first years as an independent nation, it adopted the title of the Union of Burma. The union remained a Republic until 1962. It had elections in the years 1951, 1956, and 1960. U Thant, a diplomat from Burma, became the third general secretary of the United Nations. It was off to a good start. However, multiple protests by ethnic groups for increased autonomy, combined with a weak and already weak federal government, were about to end this Republic. On March 2, 1962, the military leadership under Ne Win successfully staged a coup d’état , installing a dictatorship. The coup would begin a period of rule under the Union Revolutionary Council, which saw the nationalization of all non-state-
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Sports
March Madness Makes Historic Return by Mitchell McQuillan ’22
If you are familiar with college basketball at all, whenever you hear the words “Onions!!” said by CBS commentator Bill Raftery, you know what time it is! The NCAA Tournament, coined as “March Madness,” in the tournament’s early days has arrived! This year ’s NCAA Tournament has meant a little bit more to everyone involved- regardless if you are on your couch or on the hardwood. This is because the 2020 NCAA Tournament was cancelled as COVID-19 was on the rise in the early months of that year. People were finally seeing the most popular tournament of the year return after a two year absence. Brewster Academy, known for its powerhouse prep basketball team has featured 10 former Bobcats that are now on teams that played in this year’s tournament. In the West region of the bracket, we have Miles Norris ‘18 of UCSB (Santa Barbara). Moving towards the East region, we have three former Bobcats involved. First being Kai Jones ‘19 playing for the University of Texas and Marcus Dockery ‘20 playing for the University of Maryland, and Micawber Etienne playing for UCLA (Los Angeles). Moving towards the South Region, Aaron Wheeler ‘17 plays for Purdue University. The Midwest Region features three more former bobcats, which include Buddy Boeheim ‘18 and Kadary Richmond ‘20 who both play for Syracuse University and Derek Culver ‘18 who plays for the University of West Virginia. Players were not allowed to travel from location to location like they usually would in a non-COVID tournament. Instead, they were forced to live in bubble conditions similar to what the NBA Bubble did last summer. Players stayed in four different hotels located in downtown Indianapolis near Lucas Oil Stadium, where the Final Four would be hosted. Different stadium sites included Mackey Arena (Purdue University), Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall (University of Indiana), Hinkle Fieldhouse (Butler University), Bankers Life Fieldhouse (Indiana Pacers), Indiana Farms Coliseum (IUPUI) and Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis Colts). Once the day of March 18 rolled around, the tournament was officially underway. The first day was headlined by the first four games. Those featured close matchups in which Texas Southern, Drake, Norfolk St, and UCLA would prevail in pretty tight games. But once the real set of first games started, fans finally got the relief of watching postseason college basketball. On day one, we saw some major upsets occur. No. 15 seed Oral Roberts defeated
seed No. 2 seed Ohio State 75-72 lead by Max Abmas and Kevin Obanor’s 25+ point performances. In the same region, we saw No. 13 seed North Texas defeat No. 4 seed Purdue in overtime, 78-69. Javion Hamlet lead the Mean Green in scoring with 24 points and 12 rebounds. No. 7 seed Florida and No. 10 seed Virginia Tech battled it out into overtime thanks to a game tying shot from Virginia Tech. The Gators, however, pulled it out in overtime by five points. Moving on to the midwest region, we saw more big upsets that changed the region because of it. No. 12 seed Oregon State routed No. 5 seed
52, thanks to the game clinching free throws from Joe Pleasant with under five seconds remaining. Moving on to the round of 32, the upsets did not stop there. No. 15 seed Oral Roberts was back again. They accomplished a historic feat when the Golden Eagles triumphed over No. 7 seed Florida 81-78 in overtime. They became the second ever No. 15 seed to make it to the sweet sixteen (Florida Gulf Coast, 2013). No. 6 seed Texas Tech led by Junior transfer Mac McClung missed a game winning layup attempt at the buzzer to propel No. 3 seed Arkansas to the Sweet 16. No. 5 seed Villanova
Buddy Boeheim ’18 shoots a three pointer in a first round matchup vs San Diego State. Photo by C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos
Tennessee by 14 points. The Beavers had multiple players scoring over 10 points in the victory. No. 11 seed Syracuse, a team that nobody wants to face in March, proved to No. 6 seed San Diego State that nobody wants to mess with them. Buddy Boeheim had proved he is an elite shooter, going seven for ten from three and scoring 30 points. On day two, we saw even more upsets (who would’ve guessed). No. 13 seed Ohio had knocked off the defending national champions, No. 4 seed Virginia by four points. Jason Preston had 11 points and a stellar 13 rebounds which is impressive for a guard. No. 7 seed Oregon was supposed to face No. 10 seed Virginia Commonwealth, when the game was cancelled due to a few positive cases of COVID-19 on the VCU team. The game was decided as a no contest, and Oregon then advanced to the next round. Later in the East region, we saw No. 11 seed UCLA defeat No. 6 seed Brigham Young by 11 points, thanks to the incredible play of Johnny Juzang, who wasn’t done yet. No. 3 seed Texas, a popular pick to win the region, was upset in the first round by No. 14 seed Abilene Christian 53-
handled No. 13 seed North Texas by 20+ points, where the Wildcats had a very good well rounded performance. Forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl led the team in scoring with 18 points. In the midwest region, No. 11 seed Syracuse proved they belong in March by beating No. 3 seed West Virginia 75-72 behind a 25 point performance from Buddy Boeheim. No. 8 seed Loyola Chicago defeated the 3rd ranked team in the entire tournament, Illinois by 13 points thanks to senior Cameron Krutwig’s 19 point and 12 rebound game. No. 4 seed Oklahoma St was looking good coming into a matchup against No. 12 seed Oregon State, where they actually lost by ten to the Beavers, along with 26 points and 7 rebounds delivered by PAC-12 first team member Ethan Thompson. In the West region, led by brothers Isaiah and Evan Mobley (future NBA lottery pick), USC absolutely crushed No. 3 seed Kansas, a college basketball powerhouse 85-51. The fact that a No. 3 seed lost to a No. 6 seed is shocking especially when it’s a blue blood powerhouse like Kansas led by legendary coach Bill Self. Earlier in the day, No. 7 seed Oregon had blown out
May 23, 2021
the Luka Garza-led Hawkeyes, 95-80. Garza had 36 points and nine rebounds in the loss, which was in the final collegiate game of his career. Oregon had four players on their team score 15+ points, which was the reason for their very efficient victory. No. 13 seed Ohio ran out of dancing magic when they lost to No. 5 seed Creighton, 72-58. In the East, we had the highest combined seed matchup of the entire tournament. No. 14 seed Abilene Christian faced off against No. 11 seed UCLA, and frankly, this was all UCLA since the tip. The Bruins won by 20 points. Next round for the Bruins, Juzang has 13 points, his lowest scoring game of the tournament. Thankfully for them, five other UCLA players had above ten points which led them to an upset win 88-78 over No. 2 seed Alabama after the Tide sent it to overtime on a shot from the logo at the buzzer. No. 1 seed Michigan who came off a hard fought battle against LSU played well enough in both halves to beat No. 4 seed Florida State 76-58. Four Wolverines scored 10+ points in the win. In the West region, Oregon and USC met, as there are PAC-12 foes. Nobody thought a PAC-12 team would get near this point. But, the magic was with the Trojans as they defeated No. 7 seed Oregon by 14 points. Guard Isaiah White scored 22 points in the win, while the Mobley brothers combined for 23 points and 14 rebounds. In the South region, No. 15 seed Oral Roberts got off to a quick start versus Arkansas, leading by seven at the half. However, the Razorbacks came back and the game eventually won 72-70, ending the Cinderella run for the Golden Eagles. Max Abmas missed a game winning three pointer with no time left. He finished the game with 25 points. Moving to the Midwest region, No. 12 seed Oregon State ended the hopes of the Loyola Chicago Ramblers going back to the final four, by winning 65-58. Guard Ethan Thompson led the game in scoring with 22 points. Meanwhile in the other midwest semifinal, No. 2 seed Houston Cougars had to face off against the Boeheim led Orange. Houston went on a run from the tip and defeated the Orange 62-46. Cougars forward Justin Gorham had a double double cont. on pg. 7
Jalen Suggs shooting the game winning shot in the Final Four vs UCLA. Photo by Robert Deutsch/USA Today Sports
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May 23, 2021
page 5
Roll Cats! Brewster Varsity Boys' Lacrosse Beats Odds by Mitchell Coope ’21
accurate. The Bobcats went undefeated at home, beating tough teams such as New Hampton, St.Paul’s, and Kimball Union. The team was even able to get a couple of away victories at Proctor and Tilton towards the middle and end of the season. Post Graduate leader Braeden Pratt ’21 provided his perspective on the season, discussing the lows and highs that the team faced. “Our lowest low was our loss against St. Paul’s. We were overconfident about our abilities, and we got outworked,” said Pratt. “Despite the minor setback, we rallied at home the next day against the Pelicans. “On the other hand, our biggest high was our home win against KUA, which was also our senior game,” Pratt continued. “Defensively we shut down every player, and our offense was able to dictate the tempo. Also, the bench was getting the boys rowdy. This game was a complete team win.” Though it was a shortened season, the team was thankful for the opportunity to play this Spring. The team would like to thank Coach O, Skelley, and the athletic department for all of the effort put into their practices and games. And to all the underclassmen players, good luck next season!
Hugh Curran manages to gain possession of the bouncing ground ball in a game against St. Paul's on April 10 on Brown Field. .
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The Brewster Academy Boys Varsity Lacrosse team ended their 2021 season with a winning record. Even with full COVID restrictions in place, the Bobcats were able to face off against almost all Lakes Region teams and Phillips Exeter Academy, which was a final addition to the spring schedule. The season immediately started with some challenges. The talented and experienced New Hampton School was the first team on the schedule. However, with the announcement of Brewster’s one-week pop-up spring break, many of the boys were hoping to go home, relax, and see their family. The only problem was that if this were to happen, there wouldn’t be a big enough team to play New Hampton, and this intense rivalry game wouldn’t be rescheduled later in the season. After deep discussion on this issue, the boys on the team decided to stay on campus, attend double practices each day, and prepare for the great battle with New Hampton. The first couple of weekends, the Bobcats lost their away games, but then battled and won their games at home. Coach Jason Oullette always says, “This is our field. We will protect it. We don’t lose at home.” Those words couldn’t have been any more
Julian Edelman Retires by Julia Golden ’22
For 12 years and 11 seasons, 35-year-old Julian Edelman has given his best to the New England Patriots. Ranking second in NFL history with 118 postseason receptions, Julian Edelman has just recently announced his retirement. Due to a severe knee injury, Edelman failed his physical. Last year, he was only able to play six games, so many speculated he was done. Many people are saying it would be unlikely for him to return in 2021. Edelman has accomplished so much in his 12-year career. He earned an NFL roster spot at a position that he never had played before and did that as a seventh-round draft selection. Edelman is retiring with the second-most career receptions in franchise history. He is a three-time Super Bowl champion and in his last Super Bowl, he won MVP. As Bill Belicheck put it, Edelman could do anything, whether it was to catch, run, throw, block, return, cover, or tackle. In 2011, Belicheck played him as a parttime defensive back. Edelman announced his retirement in a video that he released on YouTube. Edelman’s retirement speech video seemed a little strange because he kept looking around during it. Although his words were beautiful, it looked like he was searching for something in the sky.
At the end of the day though, once he sat down and started to give his speech, you could hear it was a tough decision. “It was a hard decision, but the right decision for me and my family,” said Edelman. Edelman has had many great moments on the field. One of the most memorable moments is the impossible catch he made during Superbowl LI where the Patriots played against the Falcons. As the Patriots were trailing
Brady Hoff takes the ball to his left and dodges past the defender in the April 10th home game on Brown Field against St. Paul's. photos by Mrs. Maria Found
behind 28-3 in the second half, they made a huge comeback winning the game 34-28. In the late fourth quarter, Brady threw the ball into the air, and it was tipped by the Falcons cornerback. The cornerback Robert Alford fell and the ball bounced off his leg and Edleman got his hands under the ball and ripped it away. While on the field, you could hear Edleman shouting, “I caught it! I caught it!” That wasn’t the only awesome play Edleman has had in his career. There are so many memorable moments with Julian
Edleman. Whether it’s his touchdown grab that won the game against the Seahawks during Superbowl XLIX or his famous double pass TD to former Patriot player Danny Amendola in the divisional round against the Ravens. “I loved the third-and-14 against the Seattle Seahawks when Tom (Brady) hit me late across the middle and Kam Chancellor put a little heat on me and hit me hard,” said Edelman about his favorite moments on the field. Edleman is referring to Super Bowl XLIX, when in the fourth quarter the Patriots were trailing behind the Seahawks 24-14. The Pats were on their third down and 14 and Edleman got a 21-yard gain which created a drive that gave the Patriots a touchdown. Edelman has been through many hits throughout his career and has had to miss out on many games due to his knee injury and tearing his ACL. This cont. on pg. 6
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Features
May 23, 2021
Derek Chauvin Convicted of Murder of George Floyd cont. from pg. 2
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on Floyd’s neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds, not 8 minutes and 46 seconds. “Derek Chauvin betrayed his badge when he used excessive and unreasonable force upon the body of Mr. George Floyd,” prosecutor Jerry Blackwell said to the jury, which included nine women and four black people in total. Chauvin was terminated from his police department in May 2020, after a long-recorded history of use of excessive force, particularly against African-Americans. In their opening remarks, Chauvin’s defense team attempted to separate the case from what Floyd represented as the symbol of hundreds of global Black Lives Matter protests this summer. “There is no political or social cause in this courtroom,” said Chauvin’s lawyer. Chauvin’s defense team aimed to have jurors focus on the case at hand, not the social implications of the widely covered and scrutinized murder. Wi t n e s s e s b ro u g h t i n b y t h e prosecution, who varied from paramedics to experienced use-offorce instructors widely agreed that while Chauvin’s initial attempt to arrest Floyd was reasonable, putting his knee on the man’s neck was unacceptable. Minneapolis’s top homicide investigator deemed Chauvin’s use of force on Floyd as “totally unnecessary.” Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arrandondo testified against Chauvin as well, and deemed Chauvin’s methods of arresting Floyd a violation of the department’s use-of-force policy. According to law experts, it is extremely rare for a police officer to testify in police brutality cases, especially against another officer. Some have also noted that Chief Arrandondo’s staggering testimony is likely to have swayed the jury in the prosecution’s favor. The first half of week two of the trial centered around the health of George Floyd. The medical examiner who performed the autopsy on Floyd’s
body affirmed that Floyd’s heart condition and history of hypertension played a role in his death when asked by the defense. Other key medical professionals in Floyd’s case disputed that there was no evidence to suggest that his health conditions were critical enough to cause his death. Use-of-force expert Barry Brodd, who was brought in by the defense, said he regarded Chauvin’s procedure as “justified” and not a deadly demonstration of force. He compared Chauvin’s confrontation with Floyd to situations when police officers use tasers to take down non-compliant, aggressive individuals. “[If] they tase the individual and the individual falls to the ground, strikes their head [on] ice. That is not an incident of deadly force, that’s an incident of an accidental death, and in my review, I would like to see whether the suspect resisted and was objectively reasonable,” said Brodd. Brodd later testified that he had been paid by the defense to participate in the case. The use of race-baiting tactics on both sides of the courtroom was nothing short of an allegory for the division Chauvin’s actions created in America. “Race-baiting” (which can be defined as the usage of race to sway the opinion of others) can be observed when Floyd is portrayed as a dangerous, drugaddicted criminal in an attempt to dehumanize him and excuse Chauvin’s actions. Though Floyd had a criminal background and was on drugs when police confronted him, Chauvin was unaware of any of his background when he put his knee on Floyd’s neck. The narrative that black men are overaggressive and threatening echoed in the claims made by Chauvin’s defense team and the media. Floyd’s criminal history, along with the history of witnesses, was continuously brought up by the defense. Chauvin’s defense lawyer attempted to shift the blame on bystanders (majority black) who
Edelman Retires from Patriots cont. from pg. 5
is what ultimately led to his retirement because Edleman has been hit hard so many times and this year he failed his physical. Edelman also was benched with a Performance Enhancing Drugs violation to start the 2019 football season. Although Julian missed out on some important games during his career, when he did play, he was a master on the field. Many people had very nice things to say about Julian Edelman and came out thanking him for everything he did for the Patriots. “It was a privilege to coach for him,” said Patriots coach Bill Belicheck.
“Julian Edelman is one of the greatest success stories in our franchise’s history,” said Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots. Tom Brady is another person who had many nice things to say about Edelman, saying that Edelman is a great father and that he has seen a change in Edelman since becoming a father. When it came to the playoffs, no one stepped up more than Julian Edelman. Tampa Bay number 11 is open, so many people were speculating that Edelman could pull a Gronkowski and come out of retirement and reunite with Brady and Gronkowski. Although Edelman did say, “I’m so proud to be retiring
A mural in Minneapolis that commemorates George Floyd, close to where he died, by Xena Goldman, Cadex Herrera, Greta McLain, Niko Alexander, and Pablo Hernandez.
were watching from the sidewalk as Chauvin kneeled on Floyd’s neck. He tried to angle witness testimonies to make it look like they were distracting the officer by berating him thus stunting his ability to appropriately undertake Floyd’s arrest. As the trial came to its final witnesses, Derek Chauvin exercised his Fifth Amendment right not to make an appearance on the stand. The closing statements of both parties occupied the final two days of the trial. After restating that the charges were against Chauvin as an individual, not policing or policing practices, the prosecution said, “this is not an anti-police prosecution; it is a pro-police prosecution.” The lawyer went on to say, “there is nothing worse for good police than bad police.” He ended his statement by telling jurors, “believe your eyes.” The defense went next, with a final attempt to convince the jury that Chauvin was acting in accordance with his police training and had no intent on killing Floyd. Chauvin’s defense lawyer restated that Chauvin merely wanted to get Floyd under control as a crowd
a Patriot,” so he could do anything. Many people believed he would become an ESPN analyst or even go to LA to become an actor. He used to live in California so it would make sense. However, according to WCVB, nine days following his retirement, Edelman has announced that his Boston production company will be working with such networks as Paramount+, Nickelodeon, and Showtime to make movies. Additionally, Edelman will be joining the cast of “Inside the NFL.” With many projects in the making, Julian Edleman will be missed on the football field, but he will still be in the public eye.
of angry bystanders yelled at him and his colleagues. The lawyer noted that several cameras were filming Chauvin’s encounter with Floyd, including his own body camera. He asked the jury to assume that Chauvin would not have done anything he thought was illegal as he was aware he was being recorded. In the late afternoon of April 21, after less than nine hours of deliberating, the jury came to the verdict that Chauvin is guilty of all three charges made against him. He was placed under arrest without bail shortly after. Chauvin was compliant when being taken under custody and did not comment on his conviction. Though it was important that Chauvin be brought to justice for his actions, the guilty verdict does not change the policing system that caused Floyd’s death in the first place. Since becoming a police officer in 2001, Chauvin had seven police brutality complaints and 18 complaints in total filed against them. None of his brutality cases were met with discipline. Chauvin had a well-known and thorough history of abusing his power, yet he was able to keep his job for 19 years. He was only finally held accountable when video evidence of him kneeling on a citizen’s neck was shared at several angles on social media. In response to the trial’s verdict, Brewster faculty held several affinity spaces and meetings where students could share their reactions to the trial. Hunter DiVirigio ‘21, who attended both ONE and BIPOC Student Union meetings commented on Chauvin’s conviction. “The fight is far from over, so I just hope people don’t settle,” they continued. “The verdict sort-of puts people into a ‘what next’ sortof situation. We have to ask what’s actually been achieved— especially on a systemic level. If BLM as a movement cont. on pg. 9
7 May 23, 2021
Features
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Netflix Adapts Popular Book Series, Shadow and Bone by Madigan Mansour '21
March Madness
cont. from pg. 4
performance in the win, scoring 13 points and 10 rebounds in the win. We were now down to eight teams in the tournament. In the East final, it was No. 11 seed UCLA that won a grit and grind style of game and advanced to the Final Four 51-49 over No. 1 seed Michigan. Franz Wanger had open looks at the buzzer but could not convert. Johnny Juzang had perhaps his best game of the tournament so far, scoring 28 points in the Bruins historic victory. They had become the second team ever from the First Four part of the bracket to eventually go to the Final Four. Moving to the West Final, we saw an unlikely run from No. 6 USC to face offensive powerhouse and number one overall seed Gonzaga led
different from the books, because these characters never overlap or interact in their respective books. This was one of my favorite aspects from the show. It was executed very well and for those who’ve read the books, it is extremely entertaining and heartwarming to see them interact with each other. In terms of casting, the show did an excellent job. Every actor embodied their characters extremely well and looked as if they had jumped right from the book to the screen. Additionally, there was added diversity and representation by changing the main character, Alina Starkov, to be a biracial Chinese character. Alina’s story is written to be a reflection of the experiences of Jessie Mei Li, who plays Alina. The acting was great, a standout being Ben Barnes as the Darkling. He did an amazing job portraying the complex character and gaining the trust of the characters as well as the audience. The show’s rendition of Malyen Oretev was popular amongst book readers as the writers have made him much more likeable. Archie Renaux, who plays Mal, does a great job in showing Mal’s point of view. Those who watch the show get to see a bit more of his journey, which demonstrates his immense loyalty and dedication. The sets and locations where filming took place are able to capture the essence of the different countries of Shadow and Bone. The majority of filming took place around Budapest, Hungry as well as some shots in Vancouver, Canada. The European architecture was perfect in setting the scene, making it look as if the pages came to life. The overall execution of the show, Shadow and Bone, was fantastic. There have been many occasions in which
Darkling, also known as General Kirigan in the show. Those who have read the books will appreciate the amount of similarities between the show and books. In fact, many scenes included direct dialogue between characters from the books. Scenes between Matthias and Nina, two characters from Six of Crows, are almost entirely the same as they were written in the books, an aspect from the show many fans have enjoyed. Throughout the eight episodes, there were minor changes as well as a fewer bigger ones. However, these differences contributed Pictured is Jessie Mei Li, Ben Barnes, Archie Renaux, Freddy Carter, to the plot of the show Kit Young, & Amita Suman for the Shadow and Bone Netflix poster. and overall flowed quite nicely. adaptations are major flops that end up In the end, Shadow and Bone readers are generally very happy with the way leaving fans upset and disappointed. this show has turned out. Although However, when it comes to Shadow and some were skeptical as they awaited its Bone, this is certainly not the case. The release, they were not disappointed as show even achieved a 94% audience they may have feared. Many are already score on Rotten Tomatoes. The show very eager for season two. It is perfectly required many special effects as it is a enjoyable to watch for the readers and high fantasy revolving around characters non-readers and a sweeping success for with different powers and abilities, so author, Leigh Bardugo. For those who it could very easily go wrong by not have not read the books, lovers of shows being executed well. However, the CGI like Game of Thrones, The Witcher, or The and special effects looked amazing and Vampire Diaries will enjoy this series as were definitely noteworthy. One that it is right up the alley of the previously stood out in particular, was the darkness listed titles. effects associated with the character, The
by Drew Timme. The Zags dominated, winning 85-66 as Drew Timme had 23 points, while Jalen Suggs and Corey Kispert had 18 apiece. They moved on to play UCLA in the final four. From the South Final, No. 3 seed Arkansas faced No. 1 seed Baylor. Baylor was just too much for the Razorbacks to handle as they came out victorious 81-72 as senior guard MaCio Teague led the way with 22 points as the Bears moved on to Indy. They would face the winner of No. 12 Oregon State and No. 2 Houston. Houston had a great first half against the Beavers. But for the Beavers it was too little too late as they couldn’t complete a late second half run as the Cougars won 67-61. Guard Marcus Sasser had 20 points in the teams win. Now onto the Final Four, as it is dubbed, hosted in Lucas Oil Stadium. In the first match of the night, the Houston Cougars and the Baylor Bears would face off. From the tip, however
it was all Baylor. They lead by 25 points at the end of the first half. Houston would outscore them in the 2nd half, but Baylor still clinched a spot in the National Championship game with a 19 point win. The next game between the Bulldogs and the Bruins may have been one of the best final four games of the entire tournament’s history. The Bruins battled all game long to end up in overtime against the Zags 81-81. Johnny Juzang had scored a game tying put back layup after missing a free throw line floater. With about three seconds left, Guard Jalen Suggs took the ball up the floor and heaved up a shot from near midcourt at the buzzer for the win, and it banked in right off of the glass. The Bulldogs advanced to the National Championship vs Baylor after a thrilling 93-90 overtime victory. This National Championship was the first ever game to feature the pre-
season Associated Press top two ranked teams. Baylor made its first appearance on Monday night since 1948, when they lost to the University of Kentucky. Gonzaga, however, had made its first national championship appearance since 2017, when they lost to the University of North Carolina. When the ball was thrown into the air for the tip the first few minutes were all Baylor. The Bears got off to an 11-1 lead in the first few minutes, before Gonzaga came back a little bit due to slow starts from Jalen Suggs and Drew Timme. The Bears lead at the half, 47-37. The second half however, was a little bit more close. Baylor outscored Gonzaga 39-33 in the second half en route to the Bears first National Championship victory in program history winning by a final score of 86-70. Jared Butler won the Final Four Most Outstanding Player of the event, and deservedly so.
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In June 2012, author Leigh Bardugo released her first book in the Shadow and Bone trilogy, marking a start to the Grishaverse. The Grishaverse consists of seven books, all taking place in the same universe, however focusing on different characters and storylines. This consists of the Shadow and Bone Trilogy, Six of Crows Duology, and the King of Scars duology. Shadow and Bone focuses on an orphan, Alina Starkov, who discovers she has a unique power that has the potential to save her country from an impending darkness called the Shadow Fold, which was created by an ancient evil and has divided the country for centuries. On Friday, May 23, Netflix released the first season of its adaptation of Shadow and Bone, consisting of eight episodes. It features the characters from the original Shadow and Bone trilogy, while also combining the lovable faces from Six of Crows. Although the events of Six of Crows, and its sequel, Crooked Kingdom, take place years after the final book in the Shadow and Bone trilogy, Netflix and the show writers decided to have a dual storyline, acting as a prequel to Six of Crows to display what the characters were up to before they are introduced in book form. In the beginning episodes, the Crows have a completely different storyline then those from Shadow and Bone, separating the show into multiple different perspectives and storylines. One focusing on the events in Shadow and Bone, and two focusing on the prequel to Six of Crows. However, by the end, they end up combining the storylines, which means characters from Shadow and Bone interact with those from Six of Crows. This is very
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by Julia Golden ’22
features Demi Lovato Dances with Devil
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Demi Lovato is no stranger when it comes to opening up about her struggles to the world. Lovato has made many documentaries, but her most recent, honest, and revealing one is Dancing With the Devil, also named after her new album. Lovato talks about her drug addictions, sexual abuse, eating disorders, and sexuality. While filming a past documentary about becoming sober after her rehab incident, she revealed she wasn’t actually sober and used during the filming. She later released another documentary as an apology for lying, although none of these truly revealed what Lovato had been through in her career. Her new documentary, Dancing with the Devil, is also named after her new album featuring many songs that tell stories. Whether it’s about sexuality, addiction, or assault, Demi doesn’t hold back. Lovato recently revealed that as she started to become older, she started to realize that she is queer. One of the biggest signs for her was when she reflected back on her engagement with Max Ehrich. After two months, their engagement was called off. Lovato said it was very eye-opening for her. “I feel like I’m actually too queer to marry a man in my life right now,” Lovato said at the time. “I know who I am and what I am, but I’m just waiting until a specific timeline to come out to the world as what I am.” Lovato does say that she prefers friendship with men more than romance. Lovato currently identifies as pansexual. Lovato in the documentary talks
Prom Troubles!
about how drugs were a kind of coping mechanism for her. Although not completely sober, in the documentary Lovato says she’s “California Sober,” which is also a song on her album. Although this isn’t the recovery strategy for everyone, Lovato learned that cutting herself off completely from drugs wasn’t working for her, so she tried to balance it instead. She says that the restrictions made her feel powerless and encouraged a relapse. “I don’t even remember why I’m sober anymore. I’m so miserable. I’m not happy,” said Lovato. The night of Demi’s relapse and overdose, she claims that her dealer sexually assaulted her. The drugs that he gave, she believes, were laced with fentanyl. The name of the dealer remains unknown, but according to Lovato, he gave her the drugs and left her to die. Afterward in the hospital, staff asked Demi if she had had consensual sex, and Lovato said yes. It wasn’t until a month later Lovato realized she was in no state of mind to make any consensual decisions. Not only was Lovato sexually assaulted that night, but as a teen, she reveals she “lost her virginity to rape.” Lovato said that during her time at the Disney Channel, she was involved in a romantic relationship with someone who sexually assaulted her. Following this incident, Lovato talked about how she wanted to reclaim her power by seeing her attacker. During her time on Disney Channel, Lovato states how she had to keep seeing her alleged rapist during work. She even told someone about this
by Ploy Wangsrikhun ’21
May 23, 2021
Demi Lovato depicts her struggles in the "Dancing With the Devil" music video.
situation and the attacker never got penalized and didn’t get taken out of the movie they were in. This caused a lot of trauma with Demi and as coping mechanisms, Lovato turned to selfharm and developed an even worse eating disorder. “I stopped eating and coped in other ways — cutting, throwing up, whatever,” she said. “My bulimia got so bad that I started throwing up blood for the first time.”
Lovato has also had suffered from an eating disorder since she was eight years old. Lovato hired a dietitian, a nutritionist, a therapist, and a wellness coach to help her. Although she had all of these resources, her eating disorder still affected her and her friends. “There were times where I had to spend the night because she, like, ate a cookie,” said one of her assistants in the documentary. The restrictions in Lovato’s life became toxic and made her so miserable. Lovato had been through so much trauma in her life and this is reflected in her music. In her new song called “Anyone,” Demi cries for help but no one’s giving it to her. Lovato performed it during the 62nd Annual Grammy awards and broke down crying at the start, having to start over. Because of the fatal consequences of her drug overdose, including becoming temporarily blind and being minutes away from taking her final breath, she never thought she’d be able to sing again. The Grammy’s performance was the first time in a while Lovato had performed in over a year, so she felt so overwhelmed with emotions she had to stop and start over. Throughout all the struggles Lovato has been through, Demi is grateful to still be alive and happier than ever. “It wasn’t until this past year that I was able to taste the freedom of the water in the well because I finally was ready to drink it,” she said.
9 May 23, 2021
Remembering Terrence Clarke cont. from pg. 1
page 9
Polar Bear Plunge!
Chauvin Convicted of Murder
cont. from pg. 6
truly hopes to end police brutality, they/we need to move away from reactionary litigation-centric reform. We can’t just keep reacting to death and begging for the bare minimum each time.” Student Hunter DiVirgilio ’21 believes that Chauvin’s conviction was a “peace offering to minimize the risk of social upheaval,” and enforces a superficial sense that putting some, but not all, racist cops in prison is enough to protect citizens from the systemically racist policing system. D e re k C h a u v i n w i l l w a i t six weeks to receive his official sentencing. He faces a maximum sentence of 75 years. The three other ex-officers present for Floyd’s arrest are to stand trial in August for aiding and abetting second-degree murder and manslaughter. Like Chauvin's, their legal fees are being covered by the Minneapolis Police and Peace Officers Association Defense Fund.
Led by Mr. and Mrs. Found, Brewster's Polar Bear Club jumps into the lake one morning a month for the winter season. Those brave souls that show up every time are awarded with a T-Shirt to prove their bravery and ensure bragging rights all summer long!
Brewster’s Spring Musical: High School Musical cont. from pg. 1
and the performances of this year are “super different” from other years’ according to Ms. Hilton. Instead of singing around the piano as usual, students have to spread out in the hall and practice with their masks on. Although clear masks will be used for the performance, Ms.Hilton is concerned about the fact that the sound will be muffled. The crews also encounter some challenges with masks. “It is harder to sing and it is a little harder to act,” said Ansorg ’21. She finds it difficult to read other individuals’ expressions with half their face covered. In terms of music, since this show will be performed outdoors, professional musical bands can not be
hired due to the possibility of rain. As a result, recorded soundtracks will be played during the musical. “I am not a big fan of having, you know, recorded music played for a show like this … but … it will sound great!” said Mr. Campbell. Despite this year ’s special circumstances, every individual who is part of the show devoted their time and effort to “grind out their best” and “bop to the top.” The rehearsal runs every afternoon during the afternoon activities period on weekdays and weekends. The deep-voiced are grouped into altos and while the high-voiced join the sopranos. The two groups learn their notes and pitch
to compliment each other generating powerful and gorgeous harmony when singing. Besides, all characters have to learn the choreography for each soundtrack designed by Ms.Cailey Mastrangelo. Each move contributes to the atmosphere of the setting as well as the mood of the scenes. Additionally, there is an acting part of the show which will make the performance more lively and fun. Trying to perfect their skills in these three aspects, participants are committed to their hard work in hopes to shine and enchant the performance. Brewster community members looked forward to the live performance of this nostalgic childhood movie. “I think it is very humorous and
relevant to high school students … I think it is really interesting that they are doing High School Musical this year,” reflected Vera Zaslavskiy’22. “I have watched all 3 High School Musical movies. I remember watching it when I was probably in middle school for the first time when it ever came out on tv … I was a big fan,” Ms.Sarah Jeanne Shimer said. The hard work payed off as the musical was a hit, and the claps and cheers, and the smiles of the audiences rang out over campus, after each performance, all of which took place in front of the Academic Building at 8.00 p.m. on the 13th, 14th and 15th of May 2021.
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named to the McDonald’s All-American Game, a game consisting of the most elite American and Canadian high school graduates. Arriving at the University of Kentucky, Terrence was overjoyed. His lifelong dream school was to attend Kentucky, and thanks to his supreme basketball talent it was achieved. Clarke had only appeared in 8 games due to a right leg injury, posting a college career high of 22 points against Georgia Tech on December 6, 2020. His last appearance was in their SEC Tournament game vs Mississippi State, where he scored two points in only 10 minutes played in a 74-73 loss. Shortly then after, the ultimate goal was finally reached when on March 19, 2021, Clarke decided that he would forgo his remaining NCAA eligibility and would put his name into the 2021 NBA Draft. Clarke signed then with Klutch Sports group along with his high school teammate, Kai Jones. Unfortunately, tragedy struck the basketball world that evening. Brewster ’s very own, Dr Craig Gemmell put it perfectly when he was quoted in the Boston Globe in response to Terrence’s death. “To the world, Terrence was a star on the basketball court and an icon in the communities he was involved with, on a path to college and NBA stardom. To us here at Brewster, he was a friend, a student, and a valued member of the prep basketball team. He arrived at Brewster as a sophomore, and quickly became a light to all who knew him with his open, positive nature and his truly infectious smile."
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features
BA International Student Organization Holds Events by Hiba Al-Nabhani ’22
ISO (International Students Organization) is Brewster Academy’s club for international students. The club includes educational events held by students from different countries, fun activities, and many other things. The club supports international students during cultural events. The major event that is held by ISO club and loved by all is the Cultural Night during the fall trimester, where students from different countries collaborate with Esta staff to cook traditional dishes for the school. (look for cultural night pictures) The club also holds ISO hangouts from time to time. The two most recent hangouts were Thai tea making night, and watching the Chelsea Vs Real Madrid match in Anderson. Keep your eye out for an email from Director of International Student Programs Mr. Jason Wang about upcoming ISO hangouts! There are a variety of international events going in the Brewster community right now that ISO supports such as:
The Thai New Year is celebrated from the 13th of April all the way to the 15th of April. Thai people celebrate the Thai New Year by holding a festival called Songkran. Songkran occurs when the sun moves from Pisces to Aries in the zodiac which marks the start of the Buddhist new year. This festival is also known as the water splashing festival. People use water with flowers to pour on the Buddha and kids use it to pour on their elderly relatives’ hands as a sign of respect, appreciation, and apologizing for anything that occurred in the past. A water festival is also held where people have fun and splash water on each other. Another event that is going on campus right now is the Muslim holy month also known as Ramadan. Ramadan started on the 12th of April and it will be approximately ending on the 12th of May. Muslims in Wolfeboro will be fasting from dawn to sunset which is about 15 hours every day during Ramadan. Why is this considered the Islamic holy month? Because it is
May 23, 2021
Thai scholars (Gus Yordoai'21, Con Muangkod'21, Pop Srichan'21, Nut Suebthawinkul'21, Ping Tontrasathien'21, Earth Sonrod'21, and Benz Poobua'21) celebrating the Songkran festival at Brewster's docks. Photo by Sang Lapinee ’21
the month where the Quran, the last heavenly book, was brought to earth from heaven. After Ramadan comes Eid Al-Fitr which is the celebration of breaking
the fast. Under usual circumstances Muslims celebrate by waking up early, heading to Eid prayer, then gathering with their extended family members to have a huge feast.
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The Unknown Influence of First Ladies in the United States by Kate Zduncyk ’22
Although we have never had a woman president, many first ladies have been influential behind the scenes. Although they are traditionally seen as the arm candy on a president, they have benefited the country in many ways that we don’t recognize. Edith Wilson, the first lady to Woodrow Wilson, was essentially the nation’s chief executive until Wilson’s second term concluded. During WW1, Edith and Woodrow worked closely together; he gave her access to classified documents and secret wartime codes. She sat in on meetings and gave him her assessments of political figures and foreign representatives. While traveling across the U.S. to raise support for the League of Nations, Woodrow had a debilitating stroke. Before the 25th amendment, there weren’t clear constitutional guidelines regarding the transfer of presidential power when severe illness struck. Woodrow wasn’t dead or willing to resign. Rather than ceding power to the Vice President, Woodrow worked privately from his bedroom while Edith would act as the go-between for anyone who had business with the president. She managed his work from October 1919 until March 1921. Eleanor Roosevelt was one of the most powerful and admirable women of her time. During World War I, she visited wounded soldiers and worked for the Navy-Marine Corps relief society in the Red Cross Canteen. In the 1920s, she championed issues such as world peace, better conditions in the workplace, and
women’s rights. Eleanor was influential behind the scene as an advisor for FDR. Due to his disability, she often traveled on his behalf. She visited New Deal projects across the country to assess which ones worked and which fell short. Eleanor was the first president’s wife to testify before the congressional committee and address a national party convention. She also instituted her own White House press conference for Women Journalists. Although she never challenged him publicly, Eleanor strongly disagreed with FDR’s racist Japanese-internment camps. She visited the camps and talked about the loyalty of Japanese Americans in her popular syndicated newspaper column, My Day. After leaving the White House, Eleanor became a diplomat. She was the only woman on the first American delegation to the UN. She chaired the committee that drafted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which remains a model for constitutions worldwide. Claudia Alta Taylor, known as “Lady Bird”, was the first lady to Lyndon B. Johnson from 19631969. She helped fund Lyndon’s first congressional campaign. She was a political strategist and very influential in the LBJ administration. She wrote a seven-page memo for LBJ when he was deciding whether or not to run for president after completing JFK’s term. The memo contained an idea LBJ later used of running for president in 1964 but bowing out after one term. In another memo to LBJ five months into his presidency, Lady Bird predicted how the Vietnam war would derail his
First Lady Dr. Jill Biden's portrait from her official White House website bio.
administration. She was an advocate for environmental justice. She created a First Lady’s Committee for a More Beautiful Capital then expanded her program to the entire nation. She took a highly active part in her husband’s war-on-poverty program, especially the head start project for preschool children. Dr. Jill Biden continues to follow in the footsteps of influential first ladies by working and teaching while being First Lady. She is a community college educator at Northern Virginia Community College and is a professor in writing. “Teaching isn’t just what I do, It’s who I am,” said Dr. Biden when asked while she still holds a paying job. She is the first First Lady to continue to work while holding office. While
being second lady during the ObamaBiden administration, she advocated for military families and the education of women and girls worldwide. She will continue to make progress for our country as it transforms into a better and more modernized nation. These women helped pave the way for women in politics, and now since we have the first female vice president, Kamala Harris, more women will be inspired to make significant improvements in the United States. From that, we also now have our first, second husband, Doug Emhoff, the spouse of Harris. In the future, we can look forward to having a female or LBGTQ+ president, and maybe having the first first husband.
11 May 23, 2021
cont. from pg. 4
Features
Debunking Vaccine Conspiracy Theories
Elise Scott ’21 and Katie Knapp ’21 show off their vaccine shots.
An aerial shot of the Smith Center set up for Brewster's student vaccine clinic.
experienced side effects for 3-4 days, which became less severe after the first 24 hours. According to the recipient, the side effects included, “A dull, constant headache and some sinus pressure.” No major complications were experienced, and the recipient recommends the Moderna vaccine. They say, “I am happy that I got vaccinated, and I am even happier that so many adults have chosen to get vaccinated to protect themselves and the vulnerable.” Additionally the Brewster teacher is looking forward to some new opportunities granted by the vaccine: they say, “This summer, I will be able to attend two weddings,” hinting at a brighter future. The second interviewee is a Pfizer vaccine recipient, and a Brewster student. They are just under two weeks out from their last shot, and have experienced no major side effects. They say, “After the second shot, I felt very tired after the second day. I had a headache, and felt dizzy and lightheaded. These subsided the third day after receiving the vaccine,” along with a head cold. The recipient suggests receiving this vaccine to students at Brewster who have been offered it, because it helps keep this community safe. They are very happy to have received this vaccine, saying, “It gives a lot more clarity and confidence in seeing other people, for their safety and my own.” In addition, the Pfizer recipient is looking forward to new privileges granted by the vaccine. This weekend, being two weeks out from their last vaccination date, they have been granted permission from Brewster to go visit their grandparents. These new privileges will be allowed to all students who are two weeks out from their last dose of vaccine, providing
some hope of Covid-19 regulations on campus somewhat reverting back to pre-Covid times. The final vaccine recipient, also a teacher, received the single-shot vaccine made by Johnson & Johnson on the day that all Brewster teachers were offered a vaccination. In terms of side effects, none of the major clotting or other major complications were experienced. The recipient says, “My arm was a bit sore, but no more than the flu shot and less sore than I experienced from a tetanus shot or shingles vaccine! I really felt fine until 8pm each night for three nights when I became physically exhausted, all-over achy, and ready to go to sleep for the night!” The recipient expresses that they now have more freedom in regard to mask-wearing and other interpersonal activities, but they say, “Taking the mask off in certain situations just doesn’t feel right yet - especially when around lots of people.” The Johnson & Johnson vaccine recipient expresses their support in getting vaccinated against Covid-19, but recognizes that not everyone can due to health conditions and other factors. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine recipient leaves us with some wise words, saying, “This [getting vaccinated] is truly the way humanity will be able to defend itself from the virus. It is more than herd immunity... While those who are vaccinated do help protect those who are not, it is dangerous to rely upon this as a strategic approach. Variants (more aggressive??) will evolve and we will likely find that the existing vaccines are not effective. If we can immunize people >now<, and eliminate the available hosts, we are eliminating the playgrounds where the virus grows, mutates, spreads, and becomes more nefarious (>later<).”
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Another popular but more farfetched theory is about microchips in the Covid-19 vaccines. This theory is implausible, and has been proven to be false. It originated when Microsoft founder Bill Gates introduced the idea of digitally tracking vaccine records. While this had nothing to do with a microchip, it inspired the idea, and word of mouth allowed the rumors to spread across the nation. Microchips have never played a part in any of the Covid-19 vaccines, not in development, clinical trials, or administration. One of the most popular theories about the Covid-19 vaccines is that people who have tested positive in the past do not need to get the vaccine. This statement is false, because although becoming reinfected is rare, it is not impossible. Reinfection not only endangers the life of the individual, but those around them. Some recommendations from experts suggest waiting three months after infection to receive the vaccine, but no official waiting period is required. Those who have previously contracted Covid-19 do have some level of immunity, but the vaccine increases this level, and it’s not clear how long natural immunity lasts. The best option for those who have been previously infected with Covid-19 is to wait three months after recovering from the virus before getting a vaccine to better ensure the safety of the recipient and others around them. The final and one of the most prevalant theories about vaccines in general is that it causes autism in children. This originated from a study of the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine that linked the two. This study has since been disproven, and no other evidence that vaccines
cause autism has been found. This is also a problematic theory, because the culture of fear surrounding autism is dehumanizing and alienating. It causes autistic children and adults to feel unaccepted in everyday life. There is no real evidence to prove this theory, and its harmful nature makes it one of the most dangerous ones out there. The vaccine that creates the most skepticism in recipients is the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) shot. Unlike Moderna and Pfizer’s, this is a singleshot vaccine that was 66% effective in preventing Covid-19 infection in clinical trials, when compared with the earliest’s 94% and the latter’s 89%. Additionally, Johnson & Johnson vaccine rollout was paused in the U.S. in early April following six reports of the development of a rare and severe type of blood clot. The blood clotting syndrome was only reported in 6 out of the more than 7 million recipients in the U.S. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ran an investigation in association with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) into the safety of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and have just resumed rollout across the country. It was deemed both safe and effective, and the risk of developing the rare type of blood clotting is extremely low, but will be monitored by the FDA and CDC. In light of the Covid-19 vaccines coming to Brewster for both faculty and students, a group of three Brewster community members (each of whom received a different vaccine) agreed to share their experiences. Their names have not been included to protect medical privacy. The first, a recipient of the Moderna vaccine, is a teacher here at Brewster. They received their second dose of this vaccine one week ago, and only
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features
Navigating the College Process During COVID-19 by Lilly Grace '21 and Tony Gleason '21
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When businesses closed and people began to lockdown last March, the class of 2021 had no idea how much their college process would be affected by the pandemic, and for how long. Almost a year later, Covid-19 is still a current and pressing issue affecting the college admissions world. Many schools have had to increase virtual accessibility to campus and change parts of their applications. Additionally, acceptance rates have fluctuated more in this cycle than any other year. Aside from tours being canceled as campuses were closing, the first major problem with this past college admissions cycle was the lack of ability to take standardized tests. Typically, students will take their first SAT or ACT in the spring of their junior year so they can work on improving their scores before submitting them in late fall. Therefore, when test centers were closing throughout the country for spring and summer test dates, a handful of colleges and universities started to make their applications test-optional. By committing to a “test-optional” admissions cycle, schools were agreeing to assess applicants without standardized test scores. Although several schools have been evaluating this way for years, for some of the more selective schools, this was a monumental decision. For example, all eight ivy league schools were testoptional this year. For students who may be poor test-takers and would have fallen short of the school’s middle 50% score, this was a huge relief. “The landscape has and will change because of testing,” said Brewster’s assistant director of college counseling, Mr. Tim Cushing. He explained due to the amount of schools going test optional, many students who had a sufficient GPA but were lacking the test scores to apply to certain colleges, are now applying, meaning more applicants, and an increase in competitiveness. Lastly, the NCAA removed the SAT/ACT requirement for athletes which allowed for more athletes to be eligible at the collegiate level. However, given this test-optional element, the results of this year’s college process showed fluctuating acceptance rates. Because test scores were no longer a factor to consider for many students, the country’s most selective schools saw a rather large increase in applications. For example, Harvard University saw a 42% increase, and Colgate University saw a whopping 102% increase. Among the increase of applications, there was also a spike in international applications as the Common App reported there was a 20%-40% increase in applications from students outside the US. This increase in applications resulted
Neilie Alperin '21 partcipating in the Brewster tradition of placing a star next to the school she will be attending on the college board. photo by Ms. Marta Carreño
in many schools becoming much more competitive and the numbers prove this. Vanderbilt University decreased from 10.4% to 6.7%. Hamilton College had a 26% increase in applications, yet the acceptance rate went down to 14% compared to its usual 16%. Even schools that aren’t as competitive as some of the elite schools in the nation saw a decline in applications accepted. Pepperdine University, which usually has an acceptance rate of 30%-35% only accepted 940 of the 13,000 regular decision applicants which is a regular decision acceptance rate of 7%. Public universities have also been affected as the schools in the SUNY system saw a 20% decline in accepted applicants. The reasoning for this decline in acceptances is the pandemic caused many incoming college freshmen to wait a year before attending college. The major amount of people waiting to attend college caused the previously massive uptick in applications and since colleges only have so many open spots, acceptance rates dropped. The major increase in applications also led to an increase in students being waitlisted. University of Pennsylvania waitlisted around 3,500 students, yet is expected to only admit 20-175 of those waitlisted students. While these statistics may seem far from affecting our small Brewster bubble in Wolfeboro, members of Brewster’s class of 2021 were among those affected by this year’s unprecedented and stressful admissions cycle. For example, Neilie Alperin ‘21 who just recently accepted a spot at Clemson University for next fall. Alperin’s success at Brewster made her a particularly competitive applicant from this year’s senior class. In her three years at Brewster, she has maintained a straight A average in all accelerated and AP classes, all while being an intricate member of the Varsity soccer team and National Honors Soci-
ety, a mentor for the New Hampshire Student Leadership Program NHSLP, and volunteering in her free time. In this past admissions cycle, Alperin applied to several of the country’s most competitive schools including Bucknell, Clemson, Syracuse, and Providence College. Neilie says that although she felt confident in her own admission results, she noted that there were some surprising discrepancies amongst other seniors she knows. “For a couple friends of mine, either they got into a harder school and did not get into an easier school, or they did not get into a hard school and someone else got into that school,” said Alperin. …”Not just at Brewster, but at my old school Beaver [Country Day School] as well.” When asked about one of her biggest challenges with the admissions process this year, she discussed the limited ability to visit schools and how that may have swayed her final decision. “I would say that not being able to see the campuses was really hard because everyone talks about that kind of feel you get when you step on your college campus,” she describes, “I only went to 3 [college visits] including where I decided to go.” Although she is happy with her final decision, she did mention that she wishes she had been able to explore more more schools in person. “Of course I did research, but that doesn’t really give you everything. You don’t really know until you really experience it so I think that the unknown is a little bit scary,” she said.
May 23, 2021
Hall Talk
JG: Flifferfloffer! How hard is that? AB: Think of a funny word: "philosophical" Frosting: It's a combination of "fresh" and "frosting". GLITTER! SC: I was actually dead. Have you any idea why a raven's like a writing desk? TG: Beware of the Nair. VZ: You rock! LG: You are amazing! Class of 2021: 21 is a lucky number! Congratulations! Mr. B has parrots or pirates or parents. We're not sure. Mr. Cushing spoke about how the class of 2021 started their college process in the middle of a global pandemic, so they had to be flexible, relying mostly on the non-traditional, online resources for their research. Therefore, figuring out where to apply and ultimately attend with limited physical access to the schools was one of the most challenging aspects of the process for this senior class. For the class of 2022 and onwards, while things will be closer to normal next year, the pandemic has made some permanent changes in the admissions process as most schools will remain test optional for the time being which means the increase in competitiveness will remain and colleges won’t go back to 100% in person, so there will be a mix of in person and virtual visits moving forward.
Alison Ansorg '21 indicating her acceptance and decision to enroll at University of Buffalo for the fall semester. photo by Ms. Marta Carreño