Brewster Browser
Recap of First Presidential, Vice Presidential Debates
by Katherine Twombly ’26
The first presidential debate between the official presidential nominees was on September 10 and aired at 9 pm EST. Republican Presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump and the Democratic Presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris met in person for the first time and debated for 90 minutes. While this is technically the second presidential debate of this election cycle, it was the first with these two candidates. The previous debate was on June 27 between former President Trump and current President Joe Biden, which was the catalyst for President Biden’s ultimate withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race. After he withdrew, he quickly endorsed his Vice President, Kamala Harris. This decision was faced with some backlash because of the desire for a more formal vote, but after it was made official at the Democratic National Convention this disquiet came to an end. The high from a new candidate had started to wear off leaving Democrats with a newfound need for hope and inspiration.
Fortunately for them, Harris delivered and the debate was a high point for her campaign with bipartisan
agreement that she gave the best performance. Further evidence for this was provided when Harris accepted the invitation for a second debate with CNN on October 23, but Trump declined, saying he doesn’t think another debate is necessary. While Harris objectively won, both candidates had their own ways of expressing their views and responding to the debate.
On abortion, one of the issues Harris is strongest in, she was able to speak passionately about the right to women’s healthcare, referencing her visits to abortion clinics across the country. On the other hand, Trump made false claims that “everyone” wanted Roe vs. Wade to be overturned and that in many states babies are being killed after birth. This claim was promptly refuted by the moderators who informed Trump that in no state is it legal to perform executions on newborns. Harris, meanwhile, also refuted this by stating that “Nowhere in America is a woman carrying a pregnancy to term and asking for an abortion.” This starkly illustrates the polarity of these two candidates, especially in regard to supporting their claims with factual evidence.
However, many people are unsatisfied and are expressing indignation about the way the questions were delivered and the topics they focused on. People believe that some of the questions targeted Trump and many of the others played into Harris’s strengths. For example, the questions
First School Shooting of Year Shocks Georgia High School
by Moasiah Bility ’25
Following the tragic Apalachee School shooting in Georgia, the nation finds itself struggling with the once again recurring issue of gun violence. This sad event, like the many before it, has left families devastated, communities on edge, and schools questioning their security measures. The high school shooting not only highlights the vulnerability of schools but also the more significant issue of gun violence in America.
At 10 am on September 4th, 2024, chaos erupted when the shots rang out at the Apalachee school; students and staff were left scrambling for safety as the local authorities approached the scene. In the aftermath, many were left asking: How could this happen, and why does it keep happening in schools in the United States?
School shootings, once considered rare, have now become more frequent.
With each new incident, the question of how to deal with gun violence becomes more urgent.
“The root cause is the instability of certain individuals,” said Brewster Academy’s Director of Security, Mr. Kevin Duffy. He points out the critical need to address the deeper issues that lead to such tragedies. “Communities need to work together through red flag laws and communication between various stakeholders (police, mental health providers, etc.) to identify these individuals early and keep weapons out of their hands.”
The Apalachee school shooting is not an isolated incident. According to data from the Gun Violence Archive, the U.S. experiences more mass shootings than any other developed country. Schools, places meant to be safe places for learning and growing, have become targets of violence.
regarding Trump’s actions and inactions on January 6 and whether or not he would accept the results of the next election were not received well by many people. They felt the moderators were targeting him and pointed out that he has not been convicted for January 6,
A group mourns the lives of loved ones lost at Apalachee High School in Georgia. Photo taken from The New York Times.
Presidential nominees Donald Trump and Kamala Harris shake hands before their first, and last, Presidential Debate on September 10.
Essay: On Morality
by James Hatzos ’26
The concept of morality is one that is engaged with on a daily basis, either consciously, or, more frequently, unconsciously. Throughout daily life when one comes upon a dilemma, oftentimes their resolution is said to be based on “morals.” It is to this, that many people overly extend their convictions to say that something is the “right thing to do.” This statement makes an assumption of intrinsic morality, an intrinsic definition of “right” and “wrong,” an assumption that is, ironically, intrinsically flawed.
Now before continuing, one must understand what the word “intrinsic,” or rather, what the phrases “intrinsically flawed,” and “intrinsic morality,” mean. For something to be “intrinsically moral,” it would have to be something that is, by nature, right. For an argument to be “intrinsically flawed,” however, an argument must be, by nature, wrong. What is evident, is that nature has that which is always true by the understandings of society. Mathematics, for example, until theoretical levels, is
always true. It is a way in which people understand relationships that can be displayed with mathematics in the world. Even at the theoretical levels, or rather the levels undiscovered to the world, the truth of mathematics still exists. It just needs to be found.
When considering whether morals are intrinsic or not, one must look at the material conditions under which “morals” develop. In modern society, the morals considered to be intrinsic are rather simple for those who have lived in them to understand: help thy neighbor; do no harm; and be kind and courteous when possible. But it is because of the conditions in which a society develops that these can change. For example, how do we define “helping, doing no harm, or being kind & courteous?”
These are all defined within the English language, though words such as “kind”, “helpful”, and “courteous” are often used to describe each other in a circular fashion in most dictionaries. But when one considers a different society, their views of kindness, doing no harm, and helping others may be far different than
the conceptions of the same ideas in another society.
This extends to laws too; what is “moral?” Oftentimes, laws are shaped upon a society’s understanding of right and wrong, as they should be. But to say that another group of people is immoral due to differences lacks the knowledge of context that is necessary to understand human social development. Take for example the case of Native American retaliation to the colonial efforts to push westward and expand the European holdings in America. These Native Americans revolted, with arguably the most notable venture of this revolt being Pontiac’s rebellion in which the Native Americans burned towns and massacred people. As a society that developed in the Americas far before the arrival of the colonists, they had lived off of the land and their interpretation of a higher being led them to a very spiritualistic conception of nature and natural astronomical bodies to be of higher meaning. When they massacred the colonists who were deforesting their lands, killing them in droves, and killing
In Ukraine: How do drones affect conventional warfare?
by Kevin Duan ’26
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine two and a half years ago, we have seen rapid development in the technology used on the battlefield. One of the most significant changes in warfare was the usage of drones., This development has significantly impacted the battlefield strategically and economically, especially in the area of armored warfare.
Youtuber RedEffect, a Serbian content creator of eight years with over 200,000 followers, 80 million views and eight years of deep research on the analyzation of both leaked classified and declassified government documents, specializes in battlefield analysis, armor comparison, and armor vehicle analysis. He shares his insight on the impact of drone warfare in Ukraine, the differences between past and present armored warfare, and the future of drone warfare in Ukraine.
To learn about the impact of drones in Ukraine, we first have to understand how they are being used and what type of drone currently exists. Both sides use reconnaissance drones, FPV drones, and dropper drones. Reconnaissance drones provide intelligence to soldiers, tank units, and artillery units on the ground by transmitting live video of the battlefield while flying through the sky. FPV drones are often equipped with either shells or IEDs (improvised explosive devices) and offer operators with a first person view of the battlefield. These drones are relatively inexpensive and are effective against any kind of
threat like infantry, artillery, armored vehicles, and even other drones. Finally, there are dropper drones, aka droppers. These drones are essentially civilian drones with grenades and small bombs strapped to them, allowing them to drop it on infantry and other forms of enemy threats, bypassing modern armor and defenses .
According to RedEffect, both Russian and Ukrainian forces have been forced to make changes on the battlefield by deploying fewer units and installing makeshift protection such as ERA (external reactive armor ), cope cages (which is net fencing around `weak armoured spots to prevent a drone from impacting the armour itself and rather explode on the netting), and the ‘infamous tutel tanks’. These modifications sacrifice tank profile, mobility, and effectiveness in turn for protection from drones. The threat from drones has forced both sides to rethink strategies used when deploying armored vehicles and infantry, making advancements extremely slow and ground hard to gain for both sides.
This brings us to our next question, how is this conflict different from conflicts from 10-20 years ago? RedEffect said this: “massive armored assaults… armor against armor…now we see tanks operating in single units in an infantry support role to preserve their numbers.” With the support of drones, we see massive losses in numbers of tanks and armored vehicles according to various sources. The Moscow Defense Ministry said on June 19th that Ukraine has
lost 16,374 tanks and APCs, a majority destroyed by drone warfare. This is an extreme jump from other wars in the region 20 years ago, with only 160,000 combined casualties in both Chechen Wars which lasted 12 years. Estimated casualties in Ukraine are going over that number with the total at what right now for each side? .
Obviously, soldiers on the ground have been trying to improve their chance of survival while riding in an armoured vehicle. We have seen an increase in tanks armored with ‘cope cages’, We have seen Russian tanks taking this to an extreme level, where crews of old models such as T-62s and newer T-72s and T-80s put an extreme amount of sheet metal, barbed wire, and fences around their tanks that look like a box, creating the infamous “turtle” tanks.
RedEffect said, “It would seem like Ukrainian tanks operate in pairs…
their wildlife, they viewed their actions as the correct ones to take. What is to say that their conception of morality is any less valid than the conception of morality of a pacifist?
Thus, the following is evident: the morals of a society are not intrinsic, or true by nature, but rather shaped by the material conditions under which a society forms. This is not to say a society shouldn’t be moral, it is to say that these “morals” should be consciously formed in a way that benefits the nature of all human beings subjected to them. Herein lies a separate issue, what is the definition of “benefit?” This is where a society must consciously move towards praxis, rather than living in a society in which others’ views of morality are looked down upon and criticized, society, for the betterment of human assimilation, should move towards removing the ideas of intrinsic morality, towards a material conception of morality and by extension a material conception of history.
Co-Editors in Chief: Noah Jacobs ’25
Eliza Spindler ’25
Managing Editor: Grace Watson ’26
News Editor: Katherine Twombley ’26
Co-Features Editor: Mila Bahr ’27
Matt Niembro Porto ’25
Nameplate art: Shemar Joseph ’19
Staff members: Wren Baden ’28
Moasiah Bility ’25
Alli Colannino ’28
Kevin Duan ’26
Erin Kenah ’27
Molly Kirschenbaum ’26
David Mason ’26
Faculty Advisor: Jennifer Metcalfe Dumont The Brewster Browser Brewster Academy Wolfeboro, New Hampshire
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.
Disabled American Abrams tank under attack from Russian FPV drone 2024.
October 16, 2024
News Analysis
Teenage Life in Wolfeboro: Continued a Year Later
by Mila Bahr ’27
Last year, we wrote an article about teenage life in Wolfeboro; this year, we are writing about how the town’s approach to business affects the townspeople. In the last article, Teenage Life in Wolfeboro, we focused on how different businesses in Wolfeboro do not accommodate teenagers. More family-friendly businesses could be added to the town, like a mini arcade or a drive-in theater. These things could make teenage life in Wolfeboro more interesting.
“This town, being a summer resort town, could do so much better. We could be doing so many more cool things,” said Ms. Allie Cooper (now Mrs. DeFilippo), owner of Alliecaps, a local business. “I was in Acadia this summer and every night, they had something fun going on. The town could allow for permits for different festivals and whatnot.”
Throughout the summer, a few businesses have dabbled with Wolfeboro’s rules and regulations. You might be aware of many of these businesses personally. The three businesses that this article will focus on are Alliecaps, Putters Village, and Waters Edge Salon, as well as their experiences with the town. Different things can contribute to this: whether you rent or own your plot, if you go through the town directly or state, and a few other factors.
Starting off, the mini golf course Putters Village has had some not-so-attractive interactions with the town regarding their food truck laws. Putters Village started hosting a food truck in June of 2023. They made a mutual agreement between both businesses with the intention to give Wolfeboro a place to have a fun time, eat, and play mini golf. Both Putters Village and the food truck started experiencing issues with the town about a month later. They were told to remove the food truck? Or? action would be taken and they received verbal warnings only. The owner of Putters Village, Alicia Elliott, ran into a selectman on the town board and was told that they would be sent a letter regarding the food truck because the situation violates zoning laws. No action was taken other than a few more verbal comments here and there. The town did not send a physical letter, as they had threatened. However, a different business in town that also allowed a food truck did receive a cease and desist letter from the town.
The town of Wolfeboro does not own the Putters Village property. It is owned as a private commercial property, with full rights to say and allow what goes on in that lot, or so they thought. They wondered, “What does the town care if there's a food truck on our lot because it’s private property?” A few solutions were considered. For example, moving the food truck onto the grass so it was out of
by Mila Bahr ’27
because the town owns the railroad building, and the cart will be on a public road/ sidewalk. being a part of the Chamber of Commerce adds a little more flexibility for Ms. Cooper.
“I have a very small area…for that and I have to go in front of the town board to get that license every year,” said Ms. Cooper. There are also quite a few sign permits and rules for advertising. Alliecaps needs special permission to have certain signs and to place merchandise outside the shops.
“I've been lucky because I pushed it. In the summer, I put things outside of my store that people I know in the town have had issues with before,” said Ms. Cooper. She has had to go to the town or a selectman more promptly regarding safety issues that the town isn't exactly prompt about themselves. Happy to say that some things have been changed for the better after vocalizing an opinion.
Finally, we will touch on Waters Edge Salon. The town gods have smiled on this business, let's just say, as they have experienced very few permit processes and almost no run-ins with the town. The state is a big part of the reason for such a smooth ride, given that the business has to abide by state regulations, as do all hair and beauty salons.
the way of the parking lot. According to the zoning law, Wolfeboro’s definition of a food truck is a cart or a vehicle that has to be removed at the end of every working day. According to the owner they thought, okay, we will just leave the truck in its spot, so it's stationary and doesn’t necessarily qualify as a food truck anymore, therefore technically not breaking any zoning laws. That didn't work.
The town finally sent Putters Village and the owners of the food truck physical letters in July of this year. Though the food truck was removed after that, the problems continued. The food truck was invited to other private businesses in town. Elliott felt singled out and lost as to why the other businesses weren’t getting the same letters saying the zoning laws had been broken. Why did the Putters Village commercial property get denied permission to host a food truck when multiple other businesses in town that had the same situation and faced no consequences? They felt this was unfair, so Alicia started going to town hall meetings and planning board meetings to dive deeper into the regulations that they were apparently not following.
Throughout the course of voicing their opinion, Elliott said that she felt the planning board was very receptive and open-minded. They were “professional and kind while giving advice on how to move forward,” said Elliott.
Though the planning board did side with Putters Village, they are ulti-
mately not the ones who make the final decisions. It was a very difficult process that lasted for months and both the food truck owners and Elliott were bounced back and forth between different town officials with no answers. Finally, the town decided this issue needed to be addressed. After many months of fighting and advocating, the zoning board finally voted for the food trucks to be allowed at their last meeting. Seems a very quiet ending to a long, back-and-forth series of events. Though probably for the better. A difference was made by townspeople advocating.
Let's take a look at two more local businesses and their dealings with Wolfeboro. AllieCaps is a staple in Wolfeboro and is located in the old train station on Railroad Ave.
“I sell products inspired by the outdoors, so hats [and] sweatshirts. This year, I've added two other brands into my business: fanny packs which are made by upcycled ski gear and bracelets. Everything I make is [something] that people can wear and enjoy while being outside. And all of our patterns and inspiration come from our love of the outdoors,” said Ms. Cooper.
Ms. Cooper’s interactions with the town may have been less difficult, but the permit process provided some hoops to jump through. Many permits involve spacing, whether in the actual place of establishment or a cart vending space. For AllieCaps, both have to be approved
“When we deal with the state, we deal with the state…more than the town, because the state does our licensing and the state comes in and does inspections. The town doesn't do that,” said owner Paige Moore. “Basically, as long as the state passes our inspections, then it's just cleared through the town. Other than opening, we don't have a lot of communication with them.”.
The town ultimately doesn't have a say compared to the state and, if they did have an issue, the state as a higher power would still be there to back up the business. Also, not having a plot owned by the town is a big help in avoiding confrontation. According to this, state = peace for businesses.
Though many businesses have had run-ins, one consistent thing seen in this article is that slowly, through avocation, the town is changing for the better. Let's keep it up and continue to advocate for fairness and fun.
"Seems a very quiet ending to a long, back-andforth series of events."
Brewster Memorial Hall, where Wolfeboro's town offices are located, was built using funds from the will of John Brewster, the Academy's founder.
Five Charged in Friends star Matthew Perry’s Death
by Katherine Twombly ’26
Matthew Perry, who gained international acclaim for his work as Chandler Bing on the NBC sitcom Friends, died on October 28, 2023. He was 54 years old and his death in his California home, after overdosing on ketamine and drowning in his hot tub, was originally ruled an accident. He had been routinely getting ketamine infusions to treat anxiety and depression, but it had been too long at his time of death for there to have been such a significant amount still left in his system if the drug was being used only as prescribed. If used properly, ketamine is only to be distributed by a doctor and the patient should be monitored because of the drug’s potentially harmful side effects. This left many people with questions of whether others were responsible and why he was left alone after these treatments.
Now, almost, a year later, five people have been charged for actions contributing to his death. The first three have taken plea deals and will not be going on trial. His personal assistant Kenneth Iwamasa was charged with working with doctors to provide ketamine for Perry as well as administering injections, including the final one that eventually resulted in his death. He also left Perry alone after administering the drug, even though he was aware of the potential side effects. Dr. Mark Chavez and Erik Fleming, an acquaintance, are being charged with
one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine respectively.
However, the two people deemed most responsible for his death are expected to go on trial in March 2025 and are both pleading not guilty on all counts, although if found guilty they could be facing life sentences. The first is Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who sold ketamine to Iwamasa and taught him to inject it, in addition to falsifying medical records claiming that Perry had a valid prescription for the drug. He most notably became a major part of the news cycle centering around Perry’s death when his now infamous text messages came out with him making atrocious comments such as asking, “How much this moron will pay?” Even knowing that Perry was becoming addicted again to ketamine, Plasencia continued to prescribe it for his own personal gain. This was perhaps the most shocking part of these developments.
Also involved in the allegations of Perry’s death is the so-called “Ketamine Queen” Jasveen Sangha. She is charged with selling Perry the ketamine that eventually led to his death. She is known for dealing to celebrities and other high-profile clients. Her house was searched and they found ketamine, cocaine, and a variety of other drugs, earning her house the title of “Sangha Stash House.” She is also alleged to have supplied ketamine to Cody McLaury, who was working to become a
Headshot of Matthew Perry,
personal trainer, even though she knew the potential dangers. This also ended with him overdosing and dying in 2019, although she was never charged. His death occurred just under a year after the release of his autobiography Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing in which his consistent struggles with addiction are a recurring theme. He discusses his first time drinking when he was 14 saying, “For the first time in my life, nothing bothered me.” He describes how he did not feel addicted after that one night, but that it set the stage for his later struggles with alcoholism and drug abuse. On ketamine specifically, he describes it as feeling “like a giant exhale” while he was undergoing routine infusions to treat his depression. However, this eventually became lethal after he requested infusions from Iwamasa three times in one day, ultimately resulting in his overdose. News of his death was especially shocking as in his autobiography he also mentions feeling “safe from going into the dark side again.” Unfortunately, this turned out not to be the case which shows the ongoing process of overcoming addiction and how it is something you never truly get over.
First School Shooting of Year Shocks Georgia High School
Gun violence in schools is an epidemic, with 396 mass shootings recorded in 2024, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Easy access to firearms, poor mental health support, and ineffective gun control laws have contributed to this. Apalachee School is another name added to a growing list that includes “Columbine,” “Uvalde,” and “Sandy Hook.”
As discussions around solutions resurface, experts and school leaders emphasize the importance of community involvement in addressing the root causes of violence.
“Being a good community member is also important,” said Mr. Duffy. “The last part is making good decisions. What’s the definition of a good decision? You make decisions that result in a positive consequence.”
In contrast to the heightened security found in many schools that makes schools feel over militarized, “we don’t have police in our schools. And, although our doors are locked, we’re not hardened, “ said Mr. Duffy, director of security. “If we can do the fundamentals correctly, we’ll avert a larger crisis. So,
I think you use Brewster Academy as the blueprint.”
Mr. Duffy also emphasized the value of culture in fostering safer environments. “They need a multilayered security approach that starts with fostering a positive community culture where people respect each other,” he said, “This healthy community culture is the foundation, along with other security measures.”
The Apalachee school tragedy serves as a stark reminder of the close connection between America’s gun laws and the frequent shootings, particularly in schools. While the causes of gun violence are complex, a common factor is access to firearms. In many cases, young people or individuals with known mental health issues manage to acquire weapons despite background checks or other safety measures.
The debate over gun control has divided the US. Those advocating for more substantial restrictions point to the regular school shootings as clear evidence that change is needed. Meanwhile, opponents argue for the protection of Second Amendment rights, pointing out the need for solutions like
improved mental health care rather than stricter gun laws.
The presidential candidates have both touched on where they stand on guns. Vice President Kamala Harris says she favors the Second Amendment while backing safety. The former president, Donald Trump, who claims to be the “most pro-gun, pro-Second Amendment president,” often argues that in the case of mass shootings, guns were not to blame for the tragedies but rather the mental health of the shooter. He has indicated that he would not implement any new gun control measures if elected again.
In response, chools nationwide are stepping up security measures. Many have implemented active shooter drills, upgraded security systems, and introduced stricter access controls. However, while these measures may protect students, they address only the traits of a much larger problem.
School administrators and security teams face intense pressure. At Apalachee School, the staff did everything in its power to keep its students safe, but gun violence is unpredictable. Even the best-prepared
schools remain vulnerable.
The Apalachee school shooting has reignited the debate on gun control. Advocates are calling for stricter background checks, raising the legal age to purchase firearms, and banning assault weapons, which are often used in mass shootings. There’s also a growing demand for more mental health programs to address issues that may lead to such violent events.
Many are asking: How many more school shootings must occur before meaningful change takes place? Apalachee’s tragedy has again brought up the urgent need for reform, not just within schools but across the entire system of gun ownership in America.
As communities mourn the lives of the victims, one thing is clear: the conversation around gun violence cannot be ignored. Schools must continue to do everything they can to protect students and need more support from policymakers, law enforcement, and society.
The Apalachee School shooting is a reminder that without serious efforts, more schools will be at risk, and more lives will be lost to these crises.
from when Friends was on the air. From Entertainment Weekly.
by Grace Watson
Writing Tutor Center Opens in Kenison Library
The Brewster Academy Writing Tutor Center opened for its first night of the year on October 7th. The ‘24-’25 school year is the tutor center’s 4th year being open and serving the Brewster Academy community. Director of Library Service and Faculty Advisor Jennifer Dumont established the program in 2021, with the help of alum Megan Ward ’22.
“I believe everyone is a writer and can learn how to be one,” said Ms. Dumont. “I believe the best thing about the writing tutor center is that it is run by other students, which provides a natural audience and creates a safe space for students to work on their writing and grow without feeling the pressure of a teacher overseeing them.”
The writing tutor center’s purpose is to be a space for students to receive guidance and feedback on any and all writing assignments, not just on papers for English class. Students can come in with a full paper written or an empty page. No matter where they are in the writing process, the tutoring center can help them create a stronger piece of writing that students can feel good about turning in. This is incredibly empowering for students. I asked Sophia Rock ‘26 about her experience with the center, “the WTC helped me when I was super stressed for my final essay in the spring by having another pair of eyes go over it and work through the rough patches with me to make me feel more confident in my writing “.
Not only does the writing tutor center benefit students, but also the tutors themselves. Mrs. Dumont said, “I also think the tutors themselves learn
a lot. It’s amazing to see them grow.” Tutor Beck Rosenbaum described how their position in the program has managed to help them as a writer as well. “I’ve learned how to listen to my own advice,” Beck said.
To clarify, the writing tutor center isn’t a proofreading service. Students cannot simply walk in and have the tutors write their papers for them. Instead, the tutor center’s purpose is to help guide students in their writing. They are here to support, not do all of the work. If a student only needs proofreading, tutors will do it with them and help them find areas that may need work or a little extra support. Though this isn’t as “easy” as simply telling students what to do, it is much more beneficial for writers in the long run.
Tutors apply for a position in the tutor center and are trained after being accepted. They are also required to sign a tutor agreement form which emphasizes academic integrity. The agreement states, “Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated and will result in dismissal from the writing tutor center as well as referral to administration.” This is to ensure that faculty and administration can feel confident in the service the tutors are providing.
Also, tutors often deal with very raw and personal writing when reading their peers’s work, but be assured that this never is shared with others. “All session information is private,” the agreement states. “If there are questions talk to the Director, but do not share information with others. We do not talk about our tutoring sessions outside of the tutoring center.”
New Hampshire Day
The Kenison Library writing tutor
center staff includes seniors Logan Cliche, and Moasiah Bility, Juniors, Will Baldwin, Beck Rosenbaum, and Grace Watson, and Sophomore Maya George. Undeniably the most important part of the writing tutor center is not the tutors
themselves, but the Student body. “Students are all the reason why we decided to become writing tutors,” said Watson. “We want to do whatever we can to help support you and help you become a confident writer.”
’26
Writing tutors Will Baldwin ’26 and Grace Watson ’26 are ready to help pople in the Kenison Library on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings.
Hannah Ruegg ’26, Callie Pilkington ’26 and Katherine Twombley ’26 on the ski lift.
Abby Brodney ’25 and Chloe Horgan ’26 ride the Mountain Coaster at Gunstock Mountain on one of Brewster's New Hampshire Day trips.
Victory: Boston Celtics Win Their 18th Championship
by David Mason ’26
Four score and three months ago, give or take, the Boston Celtics secured their 18th National Basketball Association (NBA) championship. It took 16 years too long since the Celtics’ last rise to the top of the league. The Celtics won, and it took 19 postseason games, to sweep the Indiana Pacers disgustingly. Even before the postseason, the Celtics were dominating the league left and right. Finishing with a 64-18 record with a .780 record, 25th best of all time. On Monday 6/17, the 2023-2024 NBA season finished with the Boston Celtics on top 106-88. Perfectly timed on 617, as it is Boston’s area code, and the gentleman’s sweep against the Dallas Mavericks left Boston ready for a parade. In the NBA finals, the Celtics only dropped one game, which was the fourth in Dallas.
The success of the Celtics could not have been achieved without the coaching of Joe Mazuella. Joey M, the man, is only 35 with a championship, the youngest to ever do it except for Bill Russell in 1969. Joe Mazuella is a one-ofa-kind coach, his animalistic mindset on winning and his faith are leading points in his life.
“I want to make sure that every person that worked for the Celtics, that’s played for the Celtics, that didn’t win, knows that their work and what they’ve done hasn’t gone unnoticed or it doesn’t play a part in where we’re at today. It can be so easy when you work for this organization,” said Joe Mazuella at the post-championship press conference. Mazuella is a beloved coach and his players love him. In this quote, he shows that he cares, about the community of
the Celtics not just the players.
Statistics, the wonderful world of numbers, the numbers that explain how the Celtics won, where they fell, and what happened. Starting in the regular season the Celtics dominated as the number one seed through to end the regular season. The leader was Jayson Tatum with an average points per game of 26.9 and 8.1rebounds per game, followed by Derrick White with 5.2 assists per game, Jaylen Brown with 1.2 steals per game, and Kristaps Porzingis with 1.9 blocks per game. The Celtics’ star power this year was off the charts, and the Boston Dream team was heavily supported by our bench, especially by Payton Pritchard. Pritchard, who reached his eleventh career game with at least five 3-pointers from coming off the bench, broke the record for the Celtics that was previously shared with Sam Houser, another fantastic Boston legend from the bench. Houser also broke a Celtics record by making 21 three-pointers over three games. The record was previously held by Tatum.
Finally, there were some amazing games throughout the regular season, blowouts, close calls, and heartbreaking losses. Of note, there was our March 3rd, 2024 Celtics Vs. Warriors home game. This demolition of a match ended with a score of 140-88, a 52-point blowout, the third largest in Celtics history. Steph Curry, the star of the Warriors, left in a fuss and went to the locker room midgame after the second quarter because he was 0-9 for three-point shots and only making two out of four shots in the paint to bring his record for the game to 2-13.
Klay Thomson and Dreymon Green didn’t see the court either. The Celtics
bench took over for the rest of the game, where Boston favorite Pritchard, or PP, Crypto P, Big P, number 11, went for 19 points. The day of this deconstruction of California’s star-studded team was also Tatum’s birthday to sweeten the win. While Boston sang Happy Birthday to Tatum he brought the fans an amazing night.
Boston is a city of winners, having the Celtics, Bruins, Red Sox, and Patriots, all teams with rich and winning histories.
“I just feel like we needed to win this one because as the best sports city on the planet, we need to be winning stuff regularly,” said Randall Preston ‘25. This is? the truth. A city of winners needs to win and the Celtics have been our key to that ever since Brady left
for Tampa. 2008 was the last Celtics Championship before Banner 18 when half of the students at Brewster weren’t even born yet. To go through life without having watched the Boston Celtics win is a pure tragedy. Luckily we carried through
“Obviously watching the Celtics win the chip this year was perfect,” said Preston ’25. “The whole scenario was perfect. Game 5 in Boston on 6/17 being exactly 16 years after the last win and also the Boston area code was just perfect.”
Now the Celtics have the most championed basketball team in the nation, breaking the tie with the Los Angeles Lakers. Looking forward, the Boston Celtics are ready and excited for the fight for Banner 19.
The Boston Celtics with the championship trophy on June 17 or 617. Photo from the Boston Globe.
New Hampshire Day
Brewster students enjoy bouncing like little kids again at Greens and Beans Corn Maze and Farm on New Hampshire Day on Monday, Sept. 16.
Brewster students also got to feed and pet farm animals at Greens and Beans Corn Maze and Farm on New Hampshire Day. Other destinations included the Castle in the Clouds and Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth.
by Erin Kenah ’27
How Seasonal Depression Affects the Brain
Don’t you just hate the winter? The cold wind blowing against your dry, cracked skin and your ears and nose turning all red? The shorter days that just feel cloudy and gloomy being filled with darkness? Many people would classify this as seasonal depression, or Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
“When seasonal depression hits me I have no motivation and am so tired. I just feel hopeless like life won’t ever get better,” said Tyler Foster ’27, sophomore at Brewster. Cold weather gives your body the signal to settle down and “hibernate” resulting in little energy that can impact your focus in school, and enjoyment in activities. If you are feeling listless, sad, sleeping too much, feeling hopeless, trouble concentrating, or thinking you’re worthless, you may struggle from SAD. It is likely these symptoms come back and tend to clear up around the same time every year.
“I tend to feel this way every year starting from around December through March,” says Gracie Penny ’27, another Brewster student. Seasonal Depression is more common during fall or winter time due to the fact that the thought of shorter days and less daylight can set off a chemical reaction in the brain. There could be a drop in serotonin levels that can affect mood and may even offset melatonin levels, making you extra sleepy. Risk factors include family history, already having anxiety/ depression, living far from the equator, or having low vitamin D.
“Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) from the Mayo Clinic states, “Don’t brush off that yearly feeling as simply a case of the winter blues that you have to tough out on your own. Take steps to improve your mood and motivation steadily throughout the year.”
Make sure you are taking those
steps to prevent your negative feelings getting worse over time, whether that’s light therapy, psychotherapy , antidepressant medication, taking in more vitamin D, or just doing something as simple as going for a walk. Light therapy has been around since the 1980s and has been very helpful to people who
suffer from winter pattern SAD. It aims to expose you to bright light to make up for the diminished natural sunlight you normally would be getting in the warmer times of the year. A person participating in light therapy would sit in front of a very bright light box (at 10,000 lumens) every day for 30-45
In Ukraine: How do drones affect conventional warfare?
cont. from pg. 2
according to my observations and the interviews given by tank crews.” His explanation to us was that one tank would have a jammer which was quite effective, and the other would be a command vehicle. However, jammers are not foolproof. If a tank is damaged or rendered inoperable, jammers become ineffective and the tank is quickly destroyed by one of the sides.
Looking ahead, RedEffect does predict the advancement in technology of future drones. Where he said that manufacturers will probably “increase the range or change the frequency they operate on to avoid jammers”. However, he does predict the end of drone warfare in the next 10-20 years, where jammers
would become cheaper, more effective and the development of APS (Active Protection System) could protect the tank better than it does now. RedEffect also believes that a simple RWS (Remote Weapons Station) with radar integrated into it is a simple and cheap solution to the problem. This does not mean drones would become obsolete. He predicts that the roles would simply change from frontline and behind the line attacks to long range observations. In the two years that the conflict has been occuring, we see the deadly but spectacular advancement of technology on the battlefield and the creativity of soldiers on the ground. Drones have been especially in the center of activity and RedEffect has brought us professional insight into this new form of warfare. Russian
min, usually first thing in the morning. This treatment is 20 x brighter than your ordinary indoor light.
Psychotherapy is also an option. This is also referred to as talk therapy or counseling which can help by teaching people new ways to cope by changing habits that feed into depression called CBT-SAD (cognitive behavioral therapy) There are two weekly group sessions for six weeks that focus on replacing negative thoughts related to the season. They have a process called behavioral activation which helps people engage in indoor or outdoor activities to offset the loss of interest they have been feeling. Smaller things like taking in more vitamin D or supplements may improve symptoms quicker. If none of these work or just are not doing enough for you there is always antidepressant medication. These meds work by changing how your brain produces and uses certain chemicals involved with mood or stress. They take about four to eight weeks to work. Problems with sleep, appetite, and concentration tend to lift before your mood does.
Things you can do on your own could be as easy as making a habit of getting out for a daily walk or planning fun activities or getting social with family and friends. You should turn to a doctor if your sleep or appetite changes, if you turn to drugs or alcohol for relaxation, or if you have thoughts of suicide.
“My advice would be to go out and get yourself active, not just sitting and rotting in bed all day,” said another Brewster student.
“Go outside and surround people who make you happy.” said Foster ‘27 Don’t allow your body and mind to fall backwards continuously during the cold dark months and make yourself available to these resources.
Wheeler Matthews ’28 demonstrating how a student may feel on a gross, rainy day.
Turtle tank (T-72) spotted in Krasnohorivka, Ukraine, West of Donetsk, April 2024.
Taylor Swift: Harmful Threats, VMA’S, Flourishing Romance
by Wren Baden ’28
With the end of Taylor Swift’s ‘Eras Tour’ preparing to wrap up, many fans around the world are left devastated. To many huge fans, this tour has had such a significant influence on their lives, and it’s so hard to think that it’s all going to end.
The tour began on March 17, 2023, in Glendale, Arizona, and it has since been over a year and a half of Swift’s ongoing performing. The tour brought Swift and her team to over 50 US cities, and by the end of the tour in December, she will have performed over 150 shows to millions of fans. Throughout the tour, she released multiple albums, including two re-recorded albums, brought out many special guests during shows, and released an accompanying concert film, which went on to become the highest-grossing concert film in history. Although it may be sad to see the tour end, Swift’s popularity and role in the public eye is sure to keep her in the news and in the spotlight. In fact, some of the events that happened while she was on tour are still being talked about.
For instance, an event that occurred while she was on tour was the terrorist threat that her tour received in Europe. Swift’s fears rose significantly on August 7, 2024, when she and her team were forced to cancel three shows for the nights of August 8-10. The shows had been scheduled in Vienna, Austria, and over 150,000 fans had planned to be in attendance over the three nights. Authorities in Austria foiled the plans of multiple teenagers who had been planning a terrorist attack at Swift’s show. In one of Swift’s Instagram captions, she wrote, “The reason for the cancellations filled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many people had planned on coming to those shows.”
After discovering the threat, multiple arrests have since been made, including two young men, ages 19 and 17. According to Omar Haijawi, Head of Austria’s Directorate of State Security and Intelligence, the 19-year-old had planned to kill many fans with the use of knives and explosives. There was also
material from ISIS and Al Qaeda found in the 17-year-old’s home, according to authorities.
Although the threat caused lots of chaos and terror for fans, Swift expressed her gratitude to the Wembley Stadium security in London, England, as well as her own security team during the following final shows of the European leg of her Eras Tour, after the threat. She wanted to feel extra protected to be sure she and her fans would be safe during the shows.
On a different note, millions of people worldwide gathered around their TVs on September 10, 2024, and Swift was one of them. Eager to watch the first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, it seems fans were just as eager to know Swift’s views on the matter. After the debate, Swift made an Instagram post, officially endorsing Kamala Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz.
Swift had previously avoided sharing her political views with the public, but is now vocalizing them more. The endorsement had been widely anticipated by fans, as Swift had mentioned things before about her beliefs that matched those of Harris. In her Instagram caption, she wrote, “I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them. I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos.” Swift then proceeded to praise Harris’s choice of running mate, Tim Walz, for his support of “LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to her own body.”
Swift was also prompted to speak out after discovering that AI-generated content, in which ‘she’ falsely endorses Donald Trump, had been spread throughout parts of the internet. This made Swift even more afraid of false news spreading, and she wanted to be very clear about her decision and ensure everybody knew her truthful beliefs.
Speaking of gathering around the TV, many of Swift’s fans eagerly awaited the 2024 MTV Video Music
Awards, hoping to see her on-screen appearance. Swift received 12 award nominations this year, including Artist of the Year, Best Pop, and Song of the Summer : ‘Fortnight.’ At the end of the night, she took home seven awards, the most awards of the night. The awards she won included the following: Artist of the Year,Best Pop, Best Editing : ‘Fortnight,’ Best Direction : ‘Fortnight’, Song of the Summer : ‘Fortnight’, Best Collaboration : ‘Fortnight,’ and Video of the Year : ‘Fortnight.’ Swift also officially broke the record for most awarded solo artist in VMA history, earning herself a total of 30 awards. Although fans did not receive the surprise album announcement they may have been hoping for at the VMAs, they were delighted after Swift’s acceptance speech for her Video of the Year award, where she gave a shout out to her boyfriend, Travis Kelce. While speaking, Swift said, “When I’d finish a take, and I’d say cut, and we’d be done with that take, I’d always just hear someone like cheering and like ‘whoo’ from across
the studio. And that one person was my boyfriend, Travis. Everything this man touches turns to happiness and fun and magic.”
This shoutout to Kelce is just a small part of all the content that the media has been receiving recently between Swift and Kelce. Their love story is at its fullest, and some fans are even speculating an engagement in the near future. Since officially making their relationship public, Swift has attended 15 of Kelce’s games, including the LVIII Super Bowl, while Kelce has attended at least 14 ‘Eras Tour’ shows. While fans love getting a chance to see some heartwarming photos of the couple, they have both been cautious to keep their personal life private, and only share small bits of their relationship with the public.
The fandom looks forward to seeing what will happen next in their developing relationship, and I’m sure there will be many more moments for fans to fawn over, as Swift continues to remain in the spotlight and public view each day.
Taylor Swift at the 2024 VMAs, accepting her Video of the Year Award.
Survivors of October 7th Attack in Israel Tell Their Stories
by Molly Kirschenbaum ’26
On October 7th, 2023, on the day that Hamas attacked Israel, my family and I were in Jerusalem. Our flight was supposed to leave Saturday night and our flight did take off, but without us. Since the morning was very scary for us and many others, we made the decision not to drive closer to where the violence was at night. We stayed in our Airbnb for a few more days, praying that we would soon be back home safe. This is what I went through on October 7th and the days following.
I was visiting Israel during the Jewish holiday, Sukkot, which falls around early autumn. My sister was studying in Israel for the year, so we went to visit her. On our trip, we had a lot of fun seeing family and friends. We visited different parts of Israel such as the Dead Sea, Masada, Tel Aviv, the Kotel, and so much more. After days of fun, on Saturday morning, October 7th, I was woken up by blaring sirens. I heard my grandmother yelling at us to go downstairs to the bomb shelter. At this moment I did not really feel anything. It was not until I was sliding on someone else’s shoes and running downstairs that it started to feel real.
The bomb shelter was dark and dusty, and it seemed like people used it for holding their clutter. The bomb shelter was also not that safe. The door did not always completely close and there was a window, which if you know anything about bomb shelters, there is not supposed to be any type of opening. As we got down there we heard loud booming noises from above and felt the ground shake. Throughout the day we went up and down to the bomb shelter. At one point we were right outside where we were staying, hanging out with the stray kittens as the sirens went off again. We ran inside and went downstairs quickly.
It had settled throughout the day and there were fewer sirens being heard throughout the rest of the trip as well.
Most of the days we were upstairs in the apartment with some occasional sirens. At night though it was the scariest. I had no idea if I would wake up to sirens at three am or sleep through the night. I had no idea if I would be awake the next morning at all. It was hard enough to sleep when hearing the jets and planes fly overhead, but these thoughts made it harder.
On Sunday, my cousin came to pick my sister up to bring her back to school. That was one of the hardest goodbyes I have ever had to say. She was staying in a country where there were rockets being fired and people getting kidnapped. I was so scared and did not want to say goodbye. On Sunday night, I could not sleep until 4 a.m. On Monday, we spent the day inside packing because thankfully we were leaving on Tuesday. I slept a little better that night, still worried our flight could be canceled, but I tried to stay positive. As we drove to the airport, we picked my sister up. The situation was so scary that she decided to come back home with us. We headed to the airport and as we arrived, I felt relieved and scared. My thoughts ranged from, ”What if we get blown up right now?” to, ”What if someone runs in and does something?”. It was a scary wait, and my dad kept checking the flight making sure it was not canceled. Thankfully, we got onto the plane and it took off, but even then I was still scared. Until I knew we were all the way up in the air, I was nervous.
I arrived home on Wednesday after two flights, one to Dubai and then to New York. Once at home and settled, I went for a walk to get coffee. Anytime a car drove past me, I was nervous. For a few days I was uneasy with anything around me, but after a few weeks, I was fine and now only certain noises scare me for a quick second. I am beyond grateful for my experience. Even though it was scary, I have become a stronger person. I am also grateful for the fact that I do not have any real trauma from what I saw and went through.
A lot of people were affected by what happened on October 7th. Their lives were changed and these are their stories.
Anonymous source who will be referred to as "J"
J’s story is a part of mine, J was with me Saturday on October 7th. She flew home with us, but came back to Israel a few weeks later. J had spent her time in Israel helping out civilians. Babysitting, cooking, and creating gift baskets for them. J loves helping people, so this made her feel happy that she could help. Throughout her time in Israel she helped as much as she could and is grateful that she did.
Alma Gross Alma, a 14 year old girl, was in her room on October 7th when she was woken up by sirens at 6 a.m.. As she woke up, her first thoughts were to get to the bomb shelter and make sure her family did. Throughout the day she had gone up and down to the bomb shelter. Alma walked around her house checking up on her friends and family. Calling and texting them to ensure their safety. Alma’s mind has held onto the image of her little sister sitting in the corner of the bomb shelter crying with her mother standing next to her little sister crying as well. Alma and her family luckily do not live close to the border of the two countries. Her day to day is pretty similar to what it was before, but she can feel that the whole country has shifted.
Gabi Katz
Gabi was in Jerusalem, on October 7th. That night he started to head closer to the border. In Gabi’s mind the yellow ribbon that is used for the hostages, is what comes to mind. The yellow ribbon symbolizes the hostages being held in Gaza. Something that Gabi has struggled with is PTSD. Gabi says in an interview “...there’s some PTSD with sleeping at night…”. He feels shaken up over what he has gone through, but also feels that it has made him a stronger person. Gabi was fighting in the war for four and a half months which had him feeling mentally and physically tired.
Anonymous source who will be referred to as P
Prior to October 7th, P had planned to go to a party with friends in Jerusalem. On the morning of October 7th, P was
woken up by missiles. Throughout the day there were more and more missiles. P and his friends heard rumors about terrorists walking around and nobody wanted to party anymore. P was called up that day to fight and had to drive home to tell his mom. P had to do over 200 days of reserves. His whole life was flipped; he could not keep up with university, didn’t see his friends as much, and got rid of his dating life. His day to day life was blown all the way into a whole new realm.
P also talks about the civilians and how their lives have changed. A lot of the civilians from the north have been kicked out of their homes. They don’t have houses or a regular place to live anymore. They are living in completely new areas and the kids have been thrown into new situations after having to flee their homes. Their parents don’t all have jobs and are struggling to sustain their family lifestyle. Another thing that has changed throughout Israel is the appreciation civilians feel for the soldiers keeping them safe. Civilians all around are also just trying to help each other. P shares how many of the soldiers who were called up have not processed what happened on October 7th. P lost friends and had no time to think about the loss of his peers. It took him months for it to set in that people were brutally murdered.
Daniel Tsesarsky
Daniel was in Chevron on October 7th in military training, which was supposed to end on October 26th. Daniel’s initial reaction was that they would not have woken him up unless it was an emergency. Once he was awake,
A recent picture of good friends Noa (left) and Amit (right). Noa was killed during the attacks in Israel on October 7, 2023.
Amit and Noa were childhood friends. Here they are in dance class together as kids.
Survivors of October 7th Attack in Israel Tell Their Stories
cont. from pg. 9
he was told about what was going on. Daniel was in shock, worried that he would be directly attacked. He was unable to process what had happened, since he was thrown right into work.
Anonymous source who will be referred to as N
N had been traveling for a while and had just gotten back to Israel on October 6th. October 7th would be his first real day home in four months. Since N’s family is religious, they were not using their phones on Saturday because of Shabbos (once a week for 25 hours there are certain rules that Jewish people follow, one of them being to not use anything electrical). N and his family started to hear rumors about what was going on. Since N had finished his army service four months prior to the attack, he was not called up. N wanted to help protect the people he cared about, so he looked for a spot to join a unit. His uncle who was a commander had told him he would try and get him a spot in his unit. At 7 a.m. on October 8th, he was ready at the base, hoping he would get a chance to help his nation.
“...I can’t forget my decision on this day; I wasn’t called up for the army, but I chose to come anyway after growing up on stories about heroes that, in the height of the crisis, chose to fight. I was able to be a hero, too. And I chose to fight. I was scared, even now. After more than 150 days of fighting in Gaza, I’m scared. But I’m choosing to be a hero
and not a victim and that’s a moment I will carry with me forever.”
N knew that helping the people he loved was what he needed to do. In the three weeks after October 7th, he was adapting to his new situation. He knew he was only a few hours away from going into Gaza. He was scared for the battle ahead, but describes another feeling that came with that.
“People don’t understand what soldiers felt in those days, “ he said. “All the Jewish people [are] behind you, and you can feel it. It’s an amazing feeling.” Since October 7th, he has fought for over 150 days. By the end of the year, N will have been fighting for over 200 days for his people.
N talks about how, even though he was fighting, he felt different as a civilian.
“There is a cliché that said, ‘you can do anything’. I discovered that’s it’s true. You really can do anything you want. Sometimes it’s going to be hard but, at the end, if you really believe in it, you can do it.”
N went from backpacking in South America to fighting in a war. N misses what his life used to be and feels tired from the war. He feels pride for the people who are fighting in Israel in the war zone and for his people in America who have to battle the rise of antisemetism. He talks about how we can not forget the gruesome acts on October 7th. N shares how fear is a double sided sword and can be both good and bad.
“My advice is to acknowledge that
the fear is not necessarily a bad feeling; it can help us if we know how to control it. For example, if you don’t have fear in the battle, you’re stupid and you gonna make mistake. But also, you can’t let the fear control you.”
Amit Tevelov
On October 7th, Amit was at home. She made sure her brothers had made it down to the bomb shelter. Amit called up her parents, as they were not home. Amit and her brothers were in the safe room all day because the sirens did not stop going off. Amit found out that night that thousands of terrorists had come into Israel. The main area they invaded was the Nova Festival that took place in the south of Israel. Most of the people who were there were murdered. Amit realized that evening that one of her closest friends, Noa Zender, was at the festival and was now missing. She saw videos of terrorists knocking on doors in a city named Ashkelon. They would go into the houses shooting and grabbing civilians. Amit lost the sense of safety in her own home that day, and she moved to the center of Israel from the south.
Amit’s new goal in life is to make sure everyone knows and remembers her friend Noa. Amit says in an interview, “I don’t feel like a few months passed. Our hearts are still in the October 7th, and I can’t move on. It became our shadow of all of us.” It helped Amit to not see October as a pain in her heart, but as a goal to educate everyone on her friend
Noa and hope that they can all be like her. Amit states, “...Noa, happy, good heart, and even if she’s not here and alive, she’s still here with us, Her spirit is with us.” She describes it as a scar for every citizen. More is still happening and follows like a shadow, but for the soldiers and civilians killed, it is a scar. Some citizens want to join the army to help and some want to flee the country, being so scared and can not take the feeling anymore. Almost everyone in the country knows someone who was affected by the war, especially on October 7th. One of the first things that Amit did when she got the chance was to tattoo Noa on her arm, to ensure that everyone knows and remembers her.
Recap of First Presidential, Vice Presidential Debates
making these questions speculative. He also managed to be more respectful of his opponent than he had in the past. Specifically, in comparison to his treatment of Hilary Clinton in 2016, he was much more restrained and didn’t focus on gender as a point of his attacks. Perhaps the most inflammatory and staggering claim made in the debate was in response to a question about immigration. Trump amplified the conspiracy theory that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio are eating pets putting this false claim in the national spotlight. While this has been mocked and made fun of on both sides, it has had severe repercussions for the people accused. A series of bomb threats have occurred in Springfield over these past weeks which have led schools and public buildings to be closed down for the safety of their attendants. While this has led to a lot of hatred and harassment of immigrants in Springfield, it has also been costing the city massive amounts of money to put in the additional security necessary to keep everyone
safe. People across the country as well as in Ohio itself have been calling for an end to the discrimination against Haitians, and several religious leaders in Springfield gathered to promote peace and acceptance on September 22.
The Vice Presidential debate took place on Tuesday, October 1, from 9-10:30 PM Eastern time. It was between vice presidential nominees Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and junior Senator of Ohio J.D Vance. It was aired on CBS News and moderated by anchors Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan. Unlike the Presidential debate, the moderators were not fact-checking in real time, though there was a QR code displayed that could be scanned to see live fact-checking provided by CBS. This meant that the candidates spent a significant amount of their time rebutting and fact-checking each other’s points.
Most of the debate was conducted professionally and the candidates were generally very respectful to each other, often admitting agreement with each other’s points. This was a notable
contrast to the September Presidential Debate and left many feeling bored and underwhelmed. However, at one point when discussing immigration Vance repeatedly declared that Kamala Harris has been illegally granting citizenship to immigrants. He continued even after his time had been up and Walz repeatedly attempted to refute these claims. After many previous attempts to get Vance to finish speaking, the moderators had to turn off his microphone, but he still didn’t stop until he was told no one could hear him. Additionally, when asked about the insurrection and riot in Washington D.C. on January 6, he said that the censorship that Harris supposedly engaged in throughout her Vice Presidency was a worse threat to democracy than anything Trump has done.
On the other side Walz visibly struggled to provide a straightforward answer when asked if he lied about his timeline of visiting China. He previously said he had been in Hong Kong during the protests in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, however recently it
has come out that he in fact was not there at that time. It was also revealed that he exaggerated the number of times he has visited the country itself. In the debate when asked about this, he redirected the question and instead started talking about the work he did teaching and the trip he ran for students to go visit China. When further pressed to answer, he simply said he “misspoke” about the exact timeline of his trip that summer and he referred to himself as a “knucklehead” for doing so.
The election itself is being reported by most polls to at this point have no clear winner. With less than a month until the November 5 election, people are paying close attention to every move and misstep of both the candidates and their running mates.
Amit's tattoo of her friend Noa, dancing with a halo over her head.
Grunge Lead Singer, Legend Layne Staley Remembered
by Matt Niembro ’25
There’s no doubt that rock music has had many amazing vocalists. Men and women such as Freddie Mercury, Dave Grohl, Billie Eilish, Joan Jett and Stevie Nicks have all blessed our ears with their amazing voices and melodies, but if we’re talking singers, it’d be a crime not to mention Layne Staley, Alice In Chains’ first vocalist and founding member of the band.
Alice in Chains was a cornerstone of the grunge movement in the ’90s, being considered one of the big four of grunge along with Kurt Cobain’s Nirvana, Eddie Vedder’s Pearl Jam and Chris Cornell’s Soundgarden, however, Alice in Chains isn’t as remembered as its companions. Alice in Chains’ songs should be remembered as they’re timeless and each song is like a diary in which Staley is sharing his struggles with his listeners, and that should be kept around for as long as possible since Staley’s tortured lyrics and his intricate songwriting style marked a before and after in history of Rock n’ Roll and Metal amongst other genres.
What made Alice in Chains stand out among its fellow bands was their heavy metal influence and grungeinfused energy that Layne Staley’s tortured lyrics and great harmonies with Jerry Cantrell, who was the band’s guitarist (and a great one at that), made the band’s sound unique.
Layne Thomas Staley (born Layne Rutherford Staley) was born on August 22nd, 1967 in Bellevue, Washington. Prior to forming Alice in Chains, he played drums for glam metal bands Sleze and Alice N’ Chains (from where he got the name for his band).
Staley was also part of a lot of Seattle supergroups like Alice Mudgarden, Class of ‘99 and Mad Season, which was able to reach the mainstream appeal with songs like “Long Gone Day” or “Wake up”.
Staley released five records with his band; Facelift in 1990, with “Man in the Box” as the fan favorite single, Dirt in 1992 with amazing tracks as “Would?” and “Rooster”, Jar of Flies in 1994, that switched up the band’s sound with more melancholic and acoustic notes, from which we can highlight tracks like “Nutshell” and “Rotten Apple”.“Alice in Chains”, their self titled and last studio album that mixed the acoustics of “Jar of Flies” and the hard riffs of “Dirt” with songs like “Sludge Factory” or “Heaven Beside You” in 1995, and Unplugged in 1996, being the last record Staley’d ever make before isolating himself. Alice In Chains’ Unplugged performance is considered by many fans the best acoustic rock performance in Rock’n Roll history.
Facelift, the band’s debut album, quickly gained popularity thanks to
its first track “Man in the Box” which showcased the power, rawness and beauty in Layne’s vocals. One could say that Alice in Chains started out at the top, but the beauty of being famous was short. A rose blossomed in the band’s garden, but they weren’t aware that when the time came to pick it up, someone’s hands had to bleed because of the thorns.
Like many Grunge singers in the ‘90s, Staley was known to use heroin frequently, no matter his many attempts at sobriety, which would eventually lead to his death.
Across his life, Layne hung around a lot of heavy heroin users, among which we could mention his fianceé, Demri Lara Parrott. She died on October 29, 1996, which hurt Staley so bad, he was put on 24-hour suicide watch for some time.
After 1997, Staley slowly but surely secluded himself from the public as he fell deeper and deeper into depression. In fact, his last performance was in 1996, a few months after his Unplugged in New York performance, in which Staley said that he thought that that was his best performance in three years (funnily enough, it had also been the only performance they’d done in the last three years). In the Unplugged, Layne was also strung out on heroin during the full set and still managed to make one of the best acoustic concerts MTV had ever broadcasted. Many fans compare this concert to a man singing at his own funeral.
In his final years, Staley was looking pale, skinny and had lost a few teeth. His routine was playing video games and shooting up heroin, and his diet consisted of protein shakes and water. He rarely left his apartment and when he did, he could be spotted at the local Toys R’ Us looking for a new videogame to beat.
On April 19, 2002, Staley’s decomposing corpse was found, weighing only 82 pounds. They discovered him after a few of his friends became worried about the fact that he hadn’t withdrawn any money in the last two weeks, which was quite unusual since he was usually buying video games or protein shakes.
The autopsy reports showed that he had overdosed on a dangerous mixture of heroin and cocaine, also called a “speedball”, two weeks prior to being found, most likely on April 5th, exactly 8 years after Kurt Cobain died of a gunshot wound to the head.
Despite Layne Staley’s tragic last years and conclusion, his legacy will live on as a kind human being and one of the best musicians in history.
After Staley’s death, Alice in Chains rebanded with new singer William Duvall and they’re still performing and
putting out records, but it’s clear that Layne’s touch is missing, and that’s undebatable.
Alice in Chains, as other bands like Pantera and Lynyrd Skynyrd, have grown to become “revival bands” even though some of them keep most of their original members. This usually makes bands lose a bit of popularity since this means they kept going without their most important member. In Alice in Chains’ case, Layne Staley. In Pantera’s case, Dimebag Darrel and Vinnie Paul
Abott. In Lynyrd Skynyrd’s case, the whole damn band. People wanted to see and hear those bands because of their most important members, and as much as the replacements are amazing (like Zakk Wylde or William Duvall), it’s still not the same, which understandably upsets some fans. If you’re struggling with depression or substance abuse problems, reach out. You matter and you’re not alone. You’re loved and needed by many. It will get better eventually, and if it’s not better, it’s not over.
Enjoy: Fall Family Recipes!
Pumpkin bread:
Recipe inspired from: Pumpkin Bread Recipe (No Mixer!). from Sally’s Baking Addiction
1 and ¾ cups of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
2 and ½ teaspoon of cinnamon
¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg
⅓ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon of ground ginger
¾ teaspoons of salt
2 large eggs
½ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup of packed brown sugar
1 and ⅓ cups of pumpkin puree
½ of vegetable oil
¼ cup orange juice
⅔ cups of semi sweet chocolate
chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Grease a 9x5 pan
Bake for 60-65 minutes, loosely covering the bread with aluminum foil halfway through, so the top does not get too brown.
Pumpkin Spice Ginger cookies
Recipe from: Soft Pumpkin Spice Ginger Cookies with Brown Butter Icing. from Half Baked Harvest
Cookie Recipe:
1 ½ sticks salted butter (room temp)
¾ brown sugar
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
One large egg
¼ cup pumpkin butter
2 tablespoons of molasses
2 ½ cups of all purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
2-4 tablespoons candied ginger pieces
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Icing recipe
3 tablespoons salted butter
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
2-4 tablespoons warm milk
Pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes before putting in the oven
Cook time: 15 minutes
Layne Staley of Alice In Chains singing his heart out during his heydey.
WORD ON THE STREET
1) Who at Brewster do you ship?
2) Who is best dressed at Brewster?
3) What’s your favorite Halloween movie?
4) What is your craziest cartoon “Hear Me Out?”
Magnus Kannengisser ’28
1) Addie and Trent
2) Erin
3) Monster House
4) Fred from Scooby Doo.
Miao ’28
1) Yoki and Jason
2) Me
3) Coco
4) Peppa Pig
Mori ’28 (right)
1) Molly and Charlie
2) Coach Lopez
3) Halloween 4) Mike Wazowski
Georgia Blackburn ’25
1) Me and Elsa
2) Trevor Potenti
3) Scary Movie 1 4) Gumball Watterson
Heidi and Ryan
James Hatzos on formal day in his pimp suits
3) The Nightmare Before Christmas
4) Starfire from Teen Titans, the original one, not the "Go" one.
Bailey ’27 1) David and Randall 2) Aislinn Sprague 3) Corpse Bride 4) The fox from Zootopia
Luce Colcord ’25 (right) 1) Reese and Julian
Moasiah
Hocus Pocus
Megamind
Hall Talk
Is George Washington a curious George? – EH
My only reference for the lab report is the skibidi toilet wiki page. I'm cooked. - MNP
Are you implying something? – GR
Hoochilypoochie – LS
I’ll give you a $100,000 to tattoo SALLY on your forehead, Ms. Inman. – TD Aztec Death Whistle – EH
I prostrate myself before the community and share my knowledge. – SD
Why so feinious? – JV
Let’s start death-wrestling down the stairs. – MB
That’s so skibbity sigma. – BW Levi, you’re white knuckling it. – EH Oh my god that’s such a knee-slap moment. - FB
How often should one feed a bedsheet? - KK
It’s AP World get used to it. – EH
I’m gonna be a Jedi Ninja Turtle. – MB I'm gonna uncurl my lashes. - JR
You look like Donald Duck. – BM
No way shut the front door.- ML
Do you ever just randomly scream at the top of your lungs? - ML
Sooooo when am I going to be on JBS? – BW
A good outfit means a good day. – TS
Draw a demure line on the first graph. - JC
Lemme eat this spoon. – AD
This is a no-marching zone. - EH Quiet feet. - LBM, NJ, and LC
Metaphysical people don't really care. - RMR
Your stunning display of dislike has been noted. Now, if you would kindly continue to dislike me away from my person. - KK
May I have sharp objects? - RMR
You don't count, you're a child. - PH Behold, the genius of the class. - RMR It's skibbiti or whatever. – KVW
Salad never lets you down, and y’know what, you never let me down either. - GW
¡Que gusto verte! - MP
Randall Preston ’25
Chris
Izzy
James
Brayden Wyles ’28
1) Magnus and Brayden
Musa
Hocus Pocus
Mrs. Incredible