Issuu

Sophia Sherman ’18 gives insight into her experiences with rising social media fame through her account @SoElleGirls

more about us about the cover

3 | Editorial

Sophia Sherman ʼ18 turns a passion for storytelling into a career on screen.

Inklings News is uncensored, unedited by administration, and does not allow for prior review.

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The Editorial Board determines editorial opinions that are authored by the Editors-in-Chief. Inklings News serves as an open forum for the public and welcomes letters to the editor and other submissions. Send signed letters to inklingsnews@westportps.org. Submissions will not be edited prior to publication.

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The Board reflects on competitive culture.

5 | Father’s Day

Our dads deserve appreciation too!

6 | Singapore Summer

Three juniors will represent Staples at a global summit.

must-reads

08 04

staff

Editors-In-Chief

| Hacky Sack

The Hacky Sack craze has swept across Staples.

12 | Double Trouble

Westport twins make an AI app to tackle loneliness.

13 | Mr. Berson

Substitute teacher Micheal Berson explores future in education.

Ticked off

A new tick-borne illness linked to red meat allergies is spreading into Fairfield County. Here’s what students should know before summer.

Beyond Prevention

Students and doctors say birth control plays a much larger role in teen healthcare than many realize.

Avni Krishna & Camilla Garfield

Managing Editor

Sophia Jaramillo

Associate Managing Editor

Bailey Lilvis

Creative Directors

16 | Sports Recap Championships, records and milestones.

18 | Interactive

What is your summer personality?

19 | Bulletin Board

This month’s exciting upcoming events.

10 Screen to Screen

a career in front of and behind the camera.

Chloe Mitchell & Ella Turner

Business Manager

Ellie Kirkorsky & Eva Matviyenko

Advisors

Joseph DelGobbo & Mary Elizabeth Fulco

Bingo Bonds

Football players and Maplewood Senior Center residents form unlikely friendships one bingo game at a time.

Editors

Julianne Eladawy

Jasper Hultgren

Madeleine McMahon

Olivia Moore

Gia Narang

Piper Salik

Zana Tarsi

Luci Trinchi

Juliet Varsov

From TikTok virality to feature films, Sophia Sherman ʼ18 builds

Editorial

The cost of competitive culture

Hacky sack is the unavoidable wave that has hit Staples. We’ve all seen the joy of the game as we gazed outside the window and saw a circle of kids playing in the courtyard. The unity that came from the game was unavoidable, as circles of kids came together with the collective desire to have fun and play a game that centers group participation. But then came the big banner proclaiming Staples High School as the 2026 Hacky Sack FCIAC Champions in the main hallway, and people started posting “best plays” on an official hacky sack Instagram. Staples students didn’t just embrace the trend; they made it competitive, reflecting the infectious competitive culture in Westport that seeps its way into everything we do and turns it into the next fight to be the best.

We can see this phenome-

non occur in other trends that pop up on social media. The enjoyment of trends are often dictated by who can be the best at them. The collection of vinyls can be turned into a competition of who has the best collection, Strava can turn into a brawl of who runs the fastest and bracelet making turns into a race on who can make the most intricate patterns. It is natural for humans to want to excel, but why make everything a competition when these same activities could serve as a source of pure fun and community bonding?

This mentality is not just isolated to our hobbies; it defines other aspects of our lives, like applying to colleges. Instead of bonding over the process, we are separated by competition. We are bombarded with reminders of scholarships, recruitments, Ivys and GPAs. Instead of celebrating the suc-

cesses of our friends, we broadcast our own successes on Instagram and compare ourselves to others.

In a society where people follow trends, post online for the validation of others, go to colleges purely for the name and strive to be the best at everything they do, we can all benefit from taking a step back from devices, dialing down our drives to compete and taking trends for what they are: a source of fun.

Recently, NBC Connecticut did a segment on the hacky sackers at Staples, specifically on how the boys’ baseball team used hacky sacking as a way to unwind. In the video, we see how a collective trend can bring a team together. In the courtyard we can see how it brings hoards of kids outside away from their phones to engage with one another. When people can indulge in trends for

the main goal of deriving happiness, there are greater bonds built between one another and an overall betterment of the community.

Summer should serve as a time to enjoy activities without the pressure of needing to be the best. This summer, we hope Staples students can remove themselves from the pressure and take time to cater to their own happiness, whether that be sacking, golfing, penny boarding, picnicking, etc. After a year of hard work and high expectations, you deserve a season that belongs entirely to you.

On behalf of Inklings, have an amazing summer and see you next year!

The Editorial Board voted unanimously in favor of this opinion.

Graphic by Ella Turner ʼ28

Small Bite, Big Change Lone star

tick brings rare allergy to Northeast

Alexandra Floto ʼ28 Web Features Editor

The last thing anyone wants is a tick bite.

As New Englanders, we are all very aware of the dangers of Lyme disease, which can cause problems in the heart, joints and nervous system.

“Living in the Northeast, ticks are constantly ruling my life in the summer and I always have to check,” Ella Yeater ’28 said.

But this year, there’s a new tick-born illness to be wary of: the potentially life-threatening alpha-gal syndrome.

Alpha-gal syndrome, more commonly referred to as the red meat allergy, is a rare, delayed allergic reaction to meat products such as beef, pork and lamb, and is triggered by an exposure to a sugar molecule called galactose-a-1,3-galactose (Alpha-gal) that is carried by some lone star ticks.

ticks have migrated to the North in coastal areas. According to blog.entomologist.net, the lone star tick is returning to the geographical areas it used to inhibit due to deforestation and other habitat changes. It is important to note that not every lone star tick carries alpha-gal; only a subset of ticks harbor the sugar molecule linked to this red meat allergy.

Living in the Northeast, ticks are constantly ruling my life.” “

- Ella Yeater ’28

The allergic reaction develops one to three months after the initial bite. Once the allergy is present, infected persons may develop hives, swelling, wheezing, cramping, abdominal pain, diarrhea and nausea after eating red meat or dairy. Most of the reactions are mild, but in some rare cases, they can be life-threatening.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were more than 110,000 suspected cases of alpha-gal drome identi fied in the

United States between 2010 and 2022.

But how do you know if you’ve been bitten by the tick before it becomes a problem?

For one, the lone star tick has a white dot in the middle of its body. In addition for lone star ticks, rashes are common in the location of the bite, alongside joint pain, fever and headaches.

If you do happen to be bitten by the tick, remove the tick immediately, disinfect the bite, then monitor for symptoms for the next 30 days. If symptoms appear, visit a doctor immediately.

Aside from the newly inhabited lone star tick, there are two other prominent species of ticks in Connecticut, such as the black-legged tick (deer tick) and the dog tick.

“My dog always comes in the house with them all over her, and my mom finds them and freaks out,” Maeve Best ’28 said.

The last thing busy high schoolers need right now is another, more advanced type of tick that can cause allergies roaming around Westport, but unfortunately this beady little parasite is here

Hey, Daddy-o!

Nate Gerber ʼ27 Event Manager

He’s not your uncle. He’s not your grandpa. And unless your family tree is far more complicated than mine, he’s absolutely not your Mama.

He’s your daddy. Or your papa. Or your “bro.”

Whatever you may call him, for this Father’s Day, take a moment to think about one of the memories only your dad could’ve created. Maybe it was a wildly out-of-pocket political statement. Maybe it was a life lesson like “Don’t put that fork in the toaster!” Maybe it was a dubious concoction that included sardines in whiskey that he later called his “take” on a Manhattan.”

Sure, there are plenty of missteps. In my own case, my dad failed in his personal mission to make me a lefty. To make matters worse, he didn’t even get me interested in baseball (I’m pretty sure my lackluster little league career still keeps him up at night).

league, $1500 and a WWE belt (because nothing screams unscripted sports betting like professional wrestling). Maybe it was luck or maybe it was the fact that my dad and I make a great team. My guess is it was probably a little bit of both.

And the reason I urge you to do this is because of something most men deny but all have at some point: a mid-life crisis.

The hair’s getting thin; the hair’s going gray; the hair’s growing in undesirable loca tions such as the lower back that is also now hurting. The truth is this: you don’t know how many Father’s Days you’ll have left with your dad before he’s a grandpa. And there isn’t an official Grandfather’s Day.

Top things to do for Fathers Day!

1. Go fishing at 4 in the morning

2. Watch “Top Gun: Maverick” for the 5th time this weekend

3. Play golf for 6 hours straight

4. Grill enough food that you have leftovers for the next 3 months

So, treat him with a heart felt, handwritten message this Father’s Day, and avoid men tioning Zohran Mamdani, the G.O.A.T. Lebron James, or anything to do with the male loneliness epidemic.

As an added perk, throw in some sweets. Dads love donut holes. (Unless you’re my dad—then you abstain from all

Photo & Graphic by Ella Turner ’28

Graphic by Jasper Hultgren ’28

PhotocontributedbyWikipediaCommons

Charting off to

Singapore

3 juniors to attend Asia-Pacific Young Leaders Summit

Lila Boroujerdi ’26

Web Managing Editor

Ellie Stauder ’27, Josie Caricato ’27 and Mehmet Madigan ’27 will be traveling this summer 9,500 miles from Westport to Singapore to represent Staples at the Asia-Pacific Young Leaders Summit. The summit, hosted through the Hwa Chong Institution, gathers students of high academic merit interested in international issues.

“I was so excited to find out that I was selected for the summit,” Caricato said. “It’s great to be able to see more of the world and communicate with individ uals on an international level.”

The summit hosts close to 80 participants from countries around the world, with West port selected as one of the towns to represent the United States. The last time Staples sent students was in 2024, mak ing this trip the program’s 12th installment.

“I’m excited to share Sta ples’ values with the world,” Madigan said, “and I think that Ellie and Josie are per fect representatives of our school’s spirit.”

Both Stauder and Car icato participate in Staples’ Model UN team and are expecting to use their ex

perience in discussing global issues throughout their time at the conference. In addition to Model UN, and along with Madigan, the three competed at We the People Nationals this past April in Washington D.C., and all plan to use the political understanding they gained while in Singapore.

“The time I’ve spent in Model UN has been helpful in fostering a love for global politics and interacting with students from other countries,” Stauder said.

The conference enables student participants to engage

ference, the three participants will be able to sightsee in Singapore.

“I have never been to Asia, let alone [Singapore],”

Caricato said, “I have heard great things from people who have lived there, and think that this will be an amazing experience.”

STAPLES IN SINGAPORE (From left to right) Josie Caricato ’27, Ellie Stauder ’27 and Mehmet Madigan ’27 prepare for the life-changing trip to Asia where they’ll meet with students from China, Japan, Australia, France and more.

Photo contributed by Westport Public Schools

Staples embraces new pastime:

Alexis Jacobs ʼ26

Web Managing Editor

From my classroom facing the courtyard, I am entertained by the euphoric energy and views of Staples’ latest trend: Hacky Sacking. As I sit here, bored out of my mind typing at my desk, with a pounding headache from the fluorescent lights, my day is brightened by the wholesome energy of the Hacky Sack cheers.

The trend started on instagram and has rapidly become popular among teens across America. It made its way to Staples as the weather got nicer

and is being enjoyed by many students in the courtyard.

“I love playing hacky sack at lunch with my friends. I started playing last week and have gotten pretty good,” Nate Hammond ’27 said.

Hacky Sack is a simple game. The goal is to pass a bean filled ball without letting it fall to the floor. It’s similar to juggling, or playing Keep It Up. You can use your chest, feet, back or any other body part except your hands.

“It’s fun, it’s kind of an amazing game and it’s all over Instagram,” Ethan Berman ’29 said. “We have started doing it at home too as a group.”

The game can be played in big or small groups. In the

courtyard, there are circles of players ranging from three to 12. The players do tend to get passionate, and therefore loud at times. Sam Wadley ’26 enjoys studying in the courtyard next to the players during her afternoon free.

“[Hacky Sack] is noisy but it’s also nice because the energy is good,” Wadley said.

However, not all students are as optimistic about Hacky Sack’s popularity.

“People are just doing it because it’s a trend,” Daniel Arava ’26 said. “It’s cool to see people in the courtyard doing it, but I know in a week nobody will still be hacky sacking.”

The basic kick is the easiest way to keep the sack moving around around the circle.

StaLL 2

Balance the sack on your foot for a few seconds before your next move.

Jester 3 kick 1

Tuck your kicking leg behind your supporting leg, and jump to kick the sack mid-air with the inside of your foot.

CIRCLE UP Students gather daily in the courtyard as Hacky Sack fever continues to spread.

Photo by Ella Turner ’28

Graphics by Piper Salikʼ28

Vs. Classroom

Students navigate nuances of hormone healthcare

Chloe Mitchell ʼ28

Creative Director

Piper Salik ʼ28

Paper Editor

When she was 12-years-old, Lena Ray ’28 nervously awaited her diagnosis after seeking out her doctor for irregular period symptoms. Her legs swayed from the top of the examination table and her palms grew sweaty as she waited expectantly for an answer she could understand. Instead, her doctor recommended birth control.

Only weeks earlier, Ray sat in her health class learning about birth control as a contraceptive medication. As a young teen, she couldn’t grasp why a pill for pregnancy prevention would help her unpredictable cycle. In reality, many kids her age had begun using birth control, a truth Ray only discovered years later as she became more comfortable with her prescription.

“Teachers [often say] people go on birth control to stop pregnancies,” Ray said. “It’s not talked about as much as girls go on it to help their period, to regulate it.”

Nationally, teen birth con trol usage has increased. A third of adolescents on birth control use it solely for non-contraceptive reasons according to the National Library of Medicine. Ray’s experience has become a part of this shift in healthcare.

Although often introduced as a method of pregnancy prevention, many adolescents use the medication to regulate periods, treat acne or manage hormonal symptoms. The disconnect between how birth control is first taught and how it is later experienced has left some students feeling confused and unprepared for its real-world uses.

“I only knew my mom had gone [on it] when she was younger [and] I didn’t know anybody else,” Ray said. “I was embarrassed.”

Dr. Daniel Lax, a board certified gynecologist and cosmetic surgeon in downtown Westport, has seen a trend

drome (PCOS). Lax notes that much of the conversation in the doctor’s office is educational, but previous knowledge is also

for high schools, but the state does require a health curriculum centered around human growth, development and disease prevention.

education, leaving some students without knowledge of these aspects of contraceptives.

Jessica Selzer ’28 admitted that until the option of birth control or the patch were presented to her, she continued to grapple with unpredictable periods and mood symptoms.

“I had no idea what the patch was before I tried it,” Selzer said.

At Staples, many health class lessons are up to teacher discretion. Health and Physical Education Coordinator Christine Wanner said that the district’s lessons focus strictly on the contraceptive framework provided by the state rather than diving into clinical subjects such as acne treatment or hormonal regulations.

I think there needs to be that formal education” “

-

Dr. Danial Lax

“We don’t [cover it] because we’re not doctors,” Wanner said.

While the district prioritizes a skill-based framework, Dr. Lax worries that skipping to real-world application misses a key step in health literacy.

33% of teens on birth control use it for non-contraceptive reasons.

-National Library of Medicine

non-contraceptive reasons for the pill.

“Talking about the positive side effects of using birth control is an important piece,” Shamas said. “I definitely have that conversation. I can’t speak to every other teacher, though.”

However, waiting for these kinds of subjects in conversation is not a guaranteed

For many teens, classroom conversations hold value in guiding them to initiate proper healthcare paths. With a Staples influenced education, girls can approach resources both confidently and knowledgeably.

“I wasn’t totally sure,” Ray said. “just because of my age.”

does not require

sexual education in health classes.

spective schools.

I kind of became obsessed with the concept of virality and what makes something go viral,”

- Sophia Sherman ’18.

brainstorm most of her content ideas, and strategize and plan her content calendar,” Sherman said. “Slowly but surely it really developed into being almost like a creative assistant, creative consultant for her.”

Sherman found that those lessons she developed from working with that influencer could be applied to other areas of her life, including her own social media

duction schedule and ends with working on completely differ ent projects: like her upcoming feature film, for example.

She hopes to bring more success to future projects and management as part of the Soelle Girls team.

“Having that bandwidth to do that made me feel a lot more empowered to do it myself because I thought ‘‘Oh you were already doing all this for this other girl, so what says you can’t do it for yourself?’” Sherman

RELOCATING Sherman and Mercer trade the East Coast for Los Angeles opportunities.

“Noelle and I post twice a day, so we’ll notice if there’s something off with the algo rithm or when trends change,” Sherman said, “which is im portant because we can adapt to it.”

Now, it’s all about blending all the moments from her ex periences into the future, using every creative direction and ounce of passion and drive to open more doors, and have more experienc es.

“[Noelle and I are] excited that we finally got the invitation into the rooms,” Sherman said. “Now it’s about getting them to listen to us and trust us as artists

Olivia Moore ’28

Photos contributed by Sophia Sherman

Best of SNO winner

Screens into smiles: 11-year-old twins use AI to fight loneliness

Sophia Jaramillo ʼ27 Paper Managing Editor

At a restaurant ta-

ble, a family of five sits in silence: five plates, five glowing screens and zero conversation. It’s a scene that has quietly become the new normal, but for 11-yearold sisters Lisette and Leonie Kalra and their stuffed toy dog and mascot Professor Juju, it sparked an idea: Westport Smiles.

Rather than rejecting tech-

turn the very thing contributing to disconnection into a bridge that brings people together by creating an AI-powered app that tackles loneliness.

“We realized loneliness was the biggest problem,” Leonie said. “People of all ages feel it.”

The idea behind the app is simple: users upload or take a picture of anything, and the platform generates ideas for acts of kindness or ways to connect with others. For example, a photo of a teddy bear might inspire a toy drive, and an image of a computer suggests pro-

This encourages users to see objects not just as things, but starting points for conversation and compassion.

While building the website, the sisters experimented with numerous programs, including some of their own designs, before ultimately deciding to use Streamlit and Open AI. They were initially inspired by the Presidential AI challenge, which prompted participants to create a solution to a problem within their community with the use of AI.

panded beyond screens through a collaboration with the Westport Country Playhouse production of “Primary Trust,” a play centered around loneliness and the impact of small acts of kindness.

Kindness can change the world, or at least someones life in a really big way.”

- Leonie Kalra

“The impact of many small acts of kindness changed Kenneth’s [the protagonist’s] life,” Leonie said.

In March, Lisette and Leonie were announced as the Connecticut middle school champions for their work. Since then, Westport Smiles has become a non-profit organization and the twins’ primary goal is improving the user experience and website.

“We want to make it easier to find resources,” Lissete said. “For example, for a donation drive the app can list organizations or centers that are looking for that specific type of donation.”

The project recently ex-

Audience members lingered after the show, sharing stories about isolation and how difficult making connections can become with age. A caretaker from the Norwalk Senior Center even took multiple flyers to bring back to residents that could benefit from the app’s mission.

The twins are already thinking beyond their own community. Along with improving the app, they are writing a children’s book about kindness and empathy by encouraging the next generation to be more open with each other and help combat issues like bullying in schools. While developing Westport Smiles, the twins hope to expand it to America Smiles and then eventually World Smiles

“Kindness can change the world,” Leonie said. “Or at least someone’s life in a really big way.”

From Oxford to Staples:

Michael Berson’s academic journey while substituting

Malena Tortorella ’27 Associate Managing Editor

While substituting at Staples High School and applying to PhD programs, Michael Berson proves he is not your average fill-in teacher. As a recent Oxford graduate with a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in Traditional East Asia, Berson is using his time in between degrees to get a ground-level view of public education.

Berson’s academic focus is medieval Chinese literature, a diverse field spanning centuries of poetry and philosophy. Among his personal favorites is the poetry of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE), widely considered the golden age of Chinese verse. But his path to all of this was anything but direct. It began with a Japanese anime series.

“I was watching a lot of ‘Naruto’ and wanted to take Japanese, but it wasn’t available at my school,” Berson said. “Chinese was, so that’s what got me started.”

Ancient literature just feels like magic to me. ” “

- Substitute teacher Michael Berson

At the Pierrepont School in Westport, Berson was introduced to ancient Greek and Latin texts and found himself captivated by them.

“Ancient literature just feels like magic to me,” he said. “I want this magic for myself.”

After completing his undergraduate degree at the Univer-

sity of Chicago, Berson pursued his MPhil at Oxford, an experience that he found enriching. At Staples, Berson has taken on the substitute role with a clear purpose. He wants to understand what public school life looks like from the inside: how teachers operate, what the job involves and what kind of educator he wants to become.

For Berson, that ideally means a career as a professor of medieval Chinese literature. In the meantime, Staples is offering him the opportunity to find out if teaching, in any form, is where he truly belongs.

“Being a substitute in par-

ticular lets you see a lot of different parts of the school, lots of different kids at different years in high school, different interests and approaches,” Berson said. “It’s really eye opening.”

Beyond observing, Berson is trying to leave students with an approach to viewing knowledge as a collection of ideas that should not only be absorbed, but also questioned, reordered and compared.

“It’s just lots of really creative reorganization of little pieces,” Berson said. “It becomes rewarding and kind of addictive, and before you know it you’re applying to grad school.”

From friday night lights

Staples football team builds community

Phoebe Rosenberg ’27 Web Communications

Director

The last whistle blows and the stadium lights shut off. The Staples football team trades in their

“When I first started from Maplewood, bingo wasn’t a thing here. Now it’s like a part of [residents’] day[s],” senior lifestyle director David Clemons said. “Some of the residents that don’t typically come out of their rooms are here for this event. So it has been remark-

college, I actually would bring my fraternity brothers to an old age home. And we would also run a bingo night, which is something that we all looked forward to,” Jacowleff said. “I was just looking for opportunities in the area with some companies and homes that would

them, [they] talk about things that they’ve heard from residents.”

Bingo nights have helped players build connections, not just with seniors, but also with fellow teammates. Strengthening their collaboration and engagement skills, the team wants to be their best on and off the field.

The boys come and they listen, which is really important because not a lot of kids listen nowadays,”

— Linda Segal “

“I think it’s really helped bring the team together. Like everyone who comes here, we all work together to help these people out,” Brett Malizia ’27 said. “It’s been a really great community over here at the senior center. And I think it’s just been a lot of fun.”

Graphicsby Lucilla Trinchi

to biweekly bingo: with a different game

Photo contributed by Shannon Mulaire

FRIENDLY COMPETITION Staples’ football players have been going to the Maplewood Senior Center every other Wednesday for the past three months.

Sports Year

I’m so proud of the effort we put into this season. There couldn’t be a more deserved team.”

-

Nico Reyna ’27

We had a super successful season all around. I think that the growth that everyone had as people and players was really amazing.”

-Dhilan

Lowman ’27

Tucker Lane ʼ27

Web Sports Editor

year’s top teams

Year in Review

We were very successful throughout the season. We won all our games in the regular season including our games at Max Preps invitations against the top teams.”

-Ryan McGrath ’27