Inklings May 2025 Issue by inklingsnewsonline

PG. 12-13

PG. 11 Sibling Duos conquer the field.

Matthew Jacowleff's '15 journey from fourth grade phenom to head football coach.

May Staff

Editors-in-Chief

Andi Jacobs and Sophie Smith

Managing Editor

Will Enquist

Associate Managing Editor

Anna Petrosino

Creative Directors

Camille Blundell & Bianca Mastocciolo

Editors

Katie Brill

Sutton Bulkeley

Anne Marie Marcaro

Chloe Mitchell

Ella Turner

Business Manager

Olivia Saw

Juliet Varsov Advisers

Joseph DelGobbo & Mary Elizabeth Fulco

Scan to see the full staff!

More About Us

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

Opinions

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.

About the Cover

This month’s cover features two sets of siblings: Rory and Triston Benton ’26, & Daisy Hackett ’27 and Alex Hackett ’25. Both sibling pairs have played key roles on successful Staples sports teams. In recognition of their success, Inklings is proud to showcase them on the cover.

3 | Letter From the Editors

The editors-in-chief praise and offer constructive criticism on the 2025 field day.

4 | The Hamlet

New waterfront development in Saugatuck spurs controversy among residents.

5 | To Be or Not to Be

Nate Gerber '27 details the potential upside of the Hamlet development.

6 | Phone Ban Response

Proposed phone ban elicits strong response from students and community members.

7 | "The Diary of Anne Frank"

A behind-the-scenes look at why Players selected their show and the controversy behind it.

8-9 | Field Day

Learn about the planned 2025 Staples field day.

10 | Depop

Anna Petrosino '26 expresses her affinity for the online fashion marketplace Depop

11 | Sibling Duos

The Bentons and Hacketts are sibling teamates.

12-13 | New Football Coach

Matthew Jacowleff's '15 journey from fourth grade phenom to head football coach.

14-15 | Alum Submission

Tom Zhang '23 shares his opinion on artificial intelligence, addressing common misconceptions about the technology

Letter from the Editors-in-Chief Hey, Staples! Where is your spirit?

teams could prepare and the fact that seniors would not be able to attend.

result in an “A” doesn’t mean that it holds no value.

We recommend you see the schedule on page 9 prior to reading the Letter.

Everyone can remember being a young kid, participating in the most anticipated day of the year: Field Day. Soaked in sweat and covered in dirt, children ran amok on a field of fun. This year, Staples administration asked one question: What if high school students had the chance to be a kid again?

In an event called “Wrecker Fest,” Staples will hold its first-ever field day and spring pep rally on May 30.

To boost excitement, every day leading up to Wrecker Fest will be a Connections day and a school spirit day. During the field day, staff will administer multiple activities held both inside and outside. Activities include a petting zoo, chalk drawing, therapy dogs, trivia, tug of war, capture the flag and more. By grade, students will rotate between activities inside the school and on the fields.

When we discussed this with the Editorial Board, we noticed an overwhelmingly negative sentiment surrounding this idea. The Board was frustrated by the lack of advance notice for the pep rally so

Numerous members agreed that they would rather skip school than stay to participate in a fun, school-wide event. Admittedly, we both considered staying home as well.

But then we paused and thought about it.

How did we all become so anti-spirited?

When we began writing this editorial by echoing the negative attitude expressed by the Board, we realized that the real issue that needed to be addressed was not the event itself, but rather the intense Staples culture that discourages a simple day of fun.

Although Wrecker Fest is not perfect, it is a much-needed opportunity to boost school spirit and rekindle childhood nos talgia. So the lack of excitement for a day planned with many fun activities is alarm ing.

It is no secret that students are over whelmed with the rigorous workload and high academic standards within Staples’ walls. While school’s primary purpose is learning, it can also be a place where students express spirit and bond with their peers. Just because going to field day won’t

Countless times, our student council pushed for a spring pep rally and field day to bring spirit and de-stress. Now, when the administration is finally on board, it is our turn to step up and show support.

If students don’t engage in Wrecker Fest, the administration will be discouraged from hosting it again. We should not allow that to happen.

If you support what Wrecker Fest strives to accomplish, put on some Staples merch, fill a water bottle and get excited! We work so hard, so let's look forward to this revival of a beloved elementary school tradition. Go Wreckers!

Sincerely,

Graphic by Bianca Mastocciolo ʼ26

Heated over amlet

What to know about the controversial Hamlet developments at Saugatuck

editor

An amendment approved by the Planning and Zoning commission back in 2022, which allowed major rezoning of the Saugatuck area, has led to major controversies today about what to make of the proposed development plan. ROAN Ventures, a real estate development firm based in Westport, proposed The Hamlet. The plan calls for the development of the area encompassing Charles Street, Franklin Street and Railroad Place, and includes 11 buildings, housing hotels and shops.

“We hired DPZ, one of the world’s best master planners, to really create this district [...],” Martin Purcell, Founding Principal of ROAN, said in a video posted to the company’s website. “We actively engaged members of the public, town officials, the police chief, the fire chief, to really come down and look at the district we were creating.”

There have been multiple public hearings on the Hamlet held by the Planning and Zoning commission. While these are slated to continue, if the project is fully approved for construction, the building process would begin in 2026. Some of the issues posed at these public hearings have raised alarms for community members.

“Mostly, traffic potentially getting worse [was a main concern] due to the 57 hotel rooms,” Planning and Zoning director Michelle Perillie said. “[...] The traffic engineer that they hired said that based on the improvements to the intersections, that they were actually going to make traffic better than it is now.”

Recently, an online petition was launched in opposition to the Hamlet by the Westport Alliance for Saugatuck, in regards to what the group views as the Hamlet dramatically altering the community. One issue raised was that the development limited access to the Saugatuck river area’s amenities to civilians.

“Everyone north and east of the station will have terrible access to the Metro

North,” speaker for the Westport Alliance for Saugatuck Dara Lamb said. “This project is not building for a future that allows an ease in mass transit.”

FUTURE COMMUNITY Hamlet developers share a glimpse at the envisioned bustling shopping scene of The Hamlet.

Jack Robinson ʼ26 Managing

BIRDS-EYE VIEW Hamlet developers share a map of The Hamlet from above.

Graphic by Phoebe Rosenberg '27

Photo contributed by Hamlet developer Rodrigo Real

Drama takes the stage: Westport debates Hamlet

Nate Gerber ʼ27 Paper Editor

To be or not to be—that is the question for The Hamlet, Westport’s latest proposed megadevelopment that’s become a proverbial “tempest” in a teapot. Construction is proposed in the area near the Westport train station and the plan is to build residences, a hotel, shopping and restaurants. In Shakespearean fashion, The Hamlet development reveals a house divided.

The Westport Alliance For Saugatuck has established itself as a clear foe to the project. According to their website, The Hamlet “sacrifices Westport's unique appeal as a charming small New England coastal community.”

On the other hand, the Westport Downtown Association is an ally and recently endorsed the project.

In case anyone wishes to know the opinion of one Staples High School sophomore boy: I also believe that The Hamlet will benefit Westport.

This is a valuable piece of land that many have wanted to develop for years, and while making the riverside area beautiful might seem like “a Midsummer’s night dream,"

develop

The Hamlet attempts to do just that.

Sure, there are some downsides to The Hamlet. In a 2023 text amendment, Westport P&Z ruled that the lot could increase 800% in density. But over 50% of the total area of the project—50,000 square feet—will be designated public space. The residences, which will be 57 units, will be up to 20% affordable housing. There’s also planned underground parking for 250 to 300 cars. All signs point to The Hamlet as the savior of the often overlooked area.

Yet somehow it’s become a “come dy of errors.” On April 7, a public P&Z Zoom meeting to discuss The Hamlet was cut short when the meeting was “Zoom bombed”—hacked—and violent and sexu ally explicit video played on the screens of the more than 100 people who showed up to the long-anticipated meeting.

The fact that people would go to such malicious lengths to protest a development that has an arguably positive effect on the town says a lot about the culture of Westport. Progress or preservation— that is the question. But I find it odd that those who scream for the preservation of the old and non-functioning for the sake of “charm” call themselves progres sives. The Hamlet will be. So the melodrama really is “much ado about nothing.”

PLAN PROPOSAL

This rendering presents The Hamlet's proposed shops and public spaces near the Westport train station.

Photoby Nate Gerberʼ27

Community responds to potential phone ban

Lily Hultgren ʼ25 Editor-in-Chief

Cell phones, phone bans and Yondr pouches. These are topics of discussion sweeping the community as the district decides on whether to implement a cellphone ban and invest in Yondr pouches. In response to the potential changes to Staples’ cellphone policy, parents, faculty and students have all expressed varying opinions.

The Staples PTA Executive Board sent out a letter to the Board of Education (BOE) on April 3 that unanimously opposed using Yondr pouches to implement a complete ban. They also emphasized the need to define and enforce current policies, stopping students from accessing their cellphones during class for personal use.

“In today’s world, cell phones are everywhere: at work, in college, in daily life,” Staples PTA Co-Presidents Jodi Harris and Stefanie Shackelford wrote in a joint statement to Inklings. “Rather than shield students from that reality, we believe in equipping them with the skills and discipline to use technology in thoughtful, healthy and productive ways.”

Conversely, some parents have expressed support for the complete ban on phones during the school day. Westport parents have been signing a petition titled “Letter in Support of Phone Free Environment at Staples” that has 440 signatures.

“Twenty-three States in the U.S. have phone bans or restrictions on phones in schools,” the letter states. “The evidence is overwhelmingly positive, and highly instructive to us in Westport.”

Additionally, an email from a Staplesteacher in support for the cellphone ban was anonymously published on local blog 06880.

“The reason many teachers do not enforce the phone holders is that it is exhausting,” the teacher wrote. “No matter how consistent teachers are with their phone policies, the students are extremely resistant. ”

As the issue is being debated, Superintendent Thomas Scarice and the district implemented various initiatives in order to gather feedback before making his final recommendation on next year’s phone policy to the BOE on May 15.

“[Surveys] provide an opportunity to learn why a certain position is supported or not,” Scarice said. “Sometimes the reasons for a lack of support point to specific operational and logistical challenges that can be addressed by the administration.”

Another initiative included a site visit to Wilton High School, who has implemented a cell-phone free environment since November.

“[The Yondr pouches] paved the way for a faster transition, for most students, from full phone access to not having them during the day,” Wilton High School PTA President Sue Robins said. “However, most students discontinued the use of the Yondr pouch as it is in no way necessary for complying with the rules, and its use can be terribly inconvenient especially for students with after school activities.”

For current Westport students, a potential phone ban has been met with resistance.

“This isn’t going away, so a total ban instead of increased education on them and integration seems like wasted opportunity,” BOE junior student representative Souleye Kebe ’26 said. “Every single student I’ve talked to on this issue with one sole exception has vehemently opposed the cell phone ban, which is to be expected.”

Dialing into the debate

Confronting the past:

Concerns arise as 'Anne Frank' play takes shape

Alex Gaines ‘25

Creative Director

Rachel Olefson ‘25

Web Managing Editor

*Names have been changed for anonymity

The most recent Staples Players production, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” was a family-friendly comedic extravaganza, filled with bright colors and flashy, fun dance numbers. Their newest production, in contrast, will take a different tone, veering into the darkest subject matter seen from Players in years: a stage play based on the diary of young Holocaust victim, Anne Frank.

This specific play adaptation will be 90 minutes long, presented in one-act. The audience will be seated “alley style” on opposite sides of the stage to represent the claustrophobic setting of those who had to hide in the annex in the 1940s. Eighteen Staples students make up the cast, with many being double cast.

Players started rehearsals for the production in late April. The show will run from May 21-24. Directors David Roth and Kerry Long hope it will reach a wide audience of Westporters, young and old alike.

“Anyone and everyone can learn something from ‘The Diary of Anne Frank,’” Roth and Long wrote. “Anne was wise beyond her years and her writing is funny,

“ the cast is all on board with treating these characters with [...] dignity and respect

- Directors David Roth & Kerry Long "

touching and pretty timeless. So much of the story is really relatable – at heart it is really about two families coming together and learning to live together during some stressful times.”

However, when the production was first announced, there were some concerns from the Westport and Staples communities about the play’s ability to be inclusive and diverse.

“Almost everyone was upset,” Riley*, an anonymous Player said. “There were a lot of questions about ‘Will I be able to play certain roles? Will I be cast in the show?’”

With a 344% increase in instances of antisemitism in the last five years, accord ing to the ADL, some Players worried about the timing for producing the show.

“There were some people who were like ‘How are we going to make this show a safe environment?’” Riley said.

Eventually, allegations of antisemitism arose.

“People would out wardly make anti-semitic jokes,” Riley recalled. “[But] it’s definitely gotten better.”

Players senior officers in formed the show’s directors about the issue, and a meeting was held on March 26 for all students and parents to discuss the details of the show and its purpose.

“They were like, ‘No anti-semitism will be tolerated.’ They answered a few questions [...] they talked about how they were meeting with local rabbis,” Sam*, another anonymous Staples Player said.

Players’ directors also embraced the im portance of education for this production. In early May, Players attended a field trip to the Anne Frank exhibition in New York City and the organization plans to host an exhibit in the auditorium about Holocaust history that the audience can view before each show.

“We take all of our productions very seriously and this is no different

A blast from the past

Staples prepares to host first ever spring field day

Elsa D'Elia ʼ25 Paper Editor

When you think of field day, you’d probably picture young elementary school kids running on grass fields together while weary teachers look on. Now the high school is joining in on the fun.

This year, Staples has planned a similar event for May 30, a field day and pep rally.

“The idea of a field day came from teachers on the Social and Emotional Learning committee as well as students from Student Council,” Assistant Principal Micah Lawrence said. “From what students and staff have told me, students have been wanting this for a long time.

“

[Most] of the senior class haven’t had opportunities like this. The school could definitely find a way to move the field day so seniors could participate.

-Mera

Ghazal

’25 “

Both the SEL committee and Student Council are committed to making Staples High School a place where students feel a strong sense of pride and belonging.”

The goal is to unite students and staff with a break from schoolwork, allowing time outside for bonding and friendly competition.

The day will consist of a variety of outside events followed by a schoolwide spring sports pep rally.

Seniors will not be present to participate, however, since the senior class will be away on their respective internships.

“I’m kind of bummed to be missing it,” Olivia Berg ’25 said. “But at the same time, I’ll be [doing] internships.”

The administrators noted the absence of seniors and said there will

be scheduling changes in the future to ensure senior participation in the upcoming years.

“There is a very short window of opportunity in the spring to make this happen,” Lawrence said. “If students want to make Field Day a tradition, we will certainly consider moving it to a time when seniors may participate as well.”

For students that aren’t in their senior year, the field day is fast approaching.

“I’m really excit ed because I’m really nervous for finals, and I think that a field day is a good way to relieve some of the angst, ” Piper Salik ’28 said. “I’m looking forward to hanging out with my friends while doing all the activities the school is offering.”

page design by Ann Marie Maccaro ʼ27 & Chloe Mitchell ʼ28

Declutter with Depop

Turning closets of clothes into cash

Anna Petrosino ʼ26 Associate Managing Editor

As my closet overflows with unworn pants and dresses, sweaters still with new tags on them and tops I forgot existed, I dread the cleanout that needs to be done. However, Depop, an online marketplace, encourages buying and selling secondhand items, making it a lot easier to sell my clothes.

First, I take a photo of the item I’m selling. Then, I write a description, list the item and wait.

Sellers can send out offers, which discount the listed item to those who are interested in a lower price. I have 24-hours to accept an offer and the buyer has 24 hours to purchase after an offer is accepted.

Lastly, I go to the UPS store and mail my package with the shipping label Depop provides for me. The workers at UPS know me by name because I go so often.

Depop takes a small seller fee of 3.3% plus $0.45 per sale, allowing me to keep most of my earnings. This allows sellers to make the majority of their profits unlike other marketplaces.

I have been able to make $350 through Depop on my phone and the money goes directly into my bank account after I ship it.

It incorporates elements of social media, allowing users to follow others, like and save items and message sellers. It creates a community-driven platform for both shopping and socializing by combining social media and shopping in a feed on its homepage with categories of “suggested for you” and “based on your likes and saves.” This app makes it really easy to find items directed towards my interests in fashion.

One of Depop’s standout features is its personalized search functionality. When I search for a specific item, such as “knit cardigans,” the platform will display results that are tailored to my individual activity. For instance, if a friend and I both search for the same item, we’ll see different listings, reflecting Depop’s data-driven approach to personalization.

Buyers don’t have to run the risk of getting scammed as sellers don’t receive the money until they ship the item and all payments are made through Depop. If an item does not come as listed, Depop will compensate the buyer and ban the seller from the platform.

Depop has been an easy and helpful way for me to clean out my closet while making money.

Depop has about 2.5 million sellers with a variety of tastes and styles. (Business of Apps)

Anna Petrosino ʼ26 has bought and sold many clothes on Depop, ranging from shoes to cardigans and coats.

Sibling duos excel in sports

TAva Coyle ʼ25 OTW Executive Producer

wins Tristan and Rory Benton ’26 not only share an identical face, but they also share a sports team. They both play for Staples boys’ varsity lacrosse, Tristan on attack and Rory on defense. Yet, Staples is not where they began their lacrosse journey.

“We started in Kindergarten because everyone else played lacrosse and [we] kind of just stuck with it,” Rory said.

Their time on the field is not always the easiest. Being identical twins on the same team causes a lot of confusion on and off the field for their team and coaches.

“I think it was only until like last week coach K figured out that I play attack and Rory plays defense. Everyone just calls us Benton,” Tristan said.

As much as they may get mixed up on the field and compete with each other, the Benton's have also built a special connection on the field, being able to sense their siblings' presence.

“Three summers ago we were playing club lacrosse and we were in a game, it was tied with may be a minute left,” Rory said. “I got the ball and ran it down the field, passed it to Tristan and he scored.”

Ava Chun ʼ25 Broadcast Director

SStorey Ahl ʼ25 Paper Editor

hane Sandrew ’25 and Noah Sandrew ’28 share the same blood as well as a sports team. These brothers played together during the football season. With Shane’s experience on the team, he often finds himself helping his younger brother on the field.

“I have always tried to teach Noah [from] mistakes I have made from my athletic career,” Shane said. “Often I pull him out of a drill to teach him something to have him try something again.”

Noah got pulled up to varsity for Shane's last season here at Staples. This is the first and only year that the Sandrews will play together.

“The most difficult part of playing with him is that I’m also play ing with much old er kids,” Noah said. “There’s definitely added competition because you want to do better than them for bragging rights at home.”

25 and Daisy Hacket ʼ27

For sisters Alex Hackett ’25 and Daisy Hackett ’27, being teammates is just as natural as being family. All year long, they play side-by-side on three different sports teams, moving from one season to the next without missing a beat. They start the year with field hockey in the fall, moving into ice hockey in the winter and finally switching to lacrosse in the spring.

“Playing three sports with each other is definitely a lot of time together,” Alex said, “but it is nice to share all of our wins and losses together, and always having someone to push you.”

High school isn’t the first time that the Hacketts have experienced playing on the same team.

“As kids we also played softball together, which was the first time I ever got to be on a team with her,” Daisy said, “which was the start of me having to find a number other than two, which we also competed over.”

Playing with your sibling and spending so much time together has its ups and downs, but the Hackett sisters have learned how to properly navigate it.

“My advice to other siblings who play sports together is to support each other,” Alex said.

“Communicate honestly, and remember you're on the same team, even when things get competitive or frustrating.”

Photos contributed by Bianca Mastocciolo ʼ26, Alex Hacket ʼ25, & Daisy Hacket ʼ27

(top left) Rory Benton ʼ26

(bottom left) Tristan Benton ʼ26 (right) Alex Hacket ʼ

The making of Matty

Matthew Jacowleff ʼ15 promoted to football head coach

Will Enquist ʼ26

Managing Editor

Dylan Robbin ʼ28

Paper Editor

After years of working his way through the Westport youth sports system, Jacowleff ’15 has been named the new head coach of Staples football. His promotion is the culmination of a nearly two-decade long journey marked by resilience, passion and unwavering dedication to the game and community that raised him.

Known to his players as Coach Matty, Jacowleff began his Westport football journey in fourth grade, picking up the sport on the advice of his father. On the field, Jacowleff quickly made an impact, contributing to successful Westport Wrecker youth football teams. Then, after years of idolizing Staples football from the sidelines, Jacowleff would finally have the opportunity to represent the program he held so dearly.

“Going into my freshman year of football at Staples, putting on the Staples 'S' for the first time, I really felt such a sense of pride and responsibility to the program to really leave it in a better spot,” Jacowleff said. “I felt so fortunate and blessed to have the opportunity to wear a jersey that meant so much.”

Jacowleff’s time at Staples did not come without its challenges; delayed diagnosis of a bicep tear would sideline him through the entirety of his sophomore season.

“There were many times during that year where I wanted to quit because it was really difficult and it was a challenge for me,

A

Staples Football, to me, is and always has been the best program in the state of Connecticut. My goal is for everyone in our area to know that.

-Matthew Jacowleff ʼ15

and I am so glad that I wound up sticking with it,” Jacowleff said.

After recovering from his injury, Jacowleff continued to develop both his football and leadership skills as he tried to make up for his lost time on the field.

Recognizing his work ethic and resilience, Jacowleff’s teammates elected him captain for the 2014 football season.

“Coming back from injury, I was given some opportunities and was able to play a decent amount. I was still getting caught up to speed, but again, I saw the value of leadership and I really put myself out there to try to better my teammates whether I was on the field or not [...] which ultimately led to being elected as captain in 2014,” Jacowleff said.

In the end, Jacowleff helped lead the Wreckers to a 7-4 season, punctuated by a 38-21 Thanksgiving Day victory over Greenwich. Following his senior season, Jacowleff graduated from Staples and enrolled at Northeastern University.

In his second year of college Jacowleff fell severely ill, becoming hospitalized due to a heart issue. During this time, he felt isolated, afraid that opening up about his illness would either worry his parents or make him appear too vulnerable to his friends. Ultimately, it was this experience that drove Jacowleff to become a coach.

“I remember [...] wishing that I had a coach that I could reach out to, that cared about me and would offer me advice, guidance and support in that moment and unfortunately I did not have that,” Jacowleff said. “It was in my apartment during those days I recalibrated my life because I wanted so badly to one day be that coach for somebody who was going through something similar.”

Photos contributed by Matthew Jacowleff ʼ15

Graphic by Camille Blundell ʼ27

Born Leader Jacowleff '15 wore number 42 on the Wreckers football team as a line backer.

Bleed Wrecker Blue!

As Coach Matty steps into his new role as head coach, he finds ways to connect with his players. He runs drills, gives inspiring pep talks and encourages the team to push themselves to thier best performance.

Jacowleff would begin coaching for Staples during his senior year of college in 2019. Since his hiring, he has worked in a number of positions for the football team, including associate head coach, head junior varsity coach, offensive coordinator, wide receiver coach and defensive backs coach. In 2022, he was named FCIAC Assistant Coach of the Year after helping the offense to record-breaking totals in both yards and touchdowns for a single season in Staples’ football history. Jacowleff works to build close relationships with his players off the field, making sure that he is more than just a coach.

“He makes it very obvious that he cares about us almost more as human beings [than] as football players,” wide receiver Charlie Clark ’26 said.

Given his success, it was natural that Jacowleff would be a strong candidate for head coach following Adam Behrends departing to coach collegiate football to the University of New Mexico. Accordingly, on April 2, the Staples athletic department announced that Jacowleff had been hired as the new head football coach, an internal promotion 18 years in the making.

“He loves the town, he loves the school, he loves the program. That came out loud and clear [in the interview],” athletic director VJ Sarullo said.

In his new position, Jacowleff is tasked with continuing the success Staples football found under former transformative head coach Behrends who revived the program from a 2-8 record in 2018 to a 10-2 record in 2024. When asked about succeeding Coach Behrends, Jacowleff said that he is not trying to fill his shoes, but wants to continue to build the Staples football legacy.

“I really can only try to live up to the standard of what this program is, and to put my best foot forward every single day, and pour my passion, my love and support into every single player within our program, and focus on continuing such a strong legacy and tradition of Staples football,” Jacowleff said.

Nearly two decades after beginning his football journey as a fourth grader, Jacowleff stands at the helm of the same program that shaped him. As he begins this next chapter, his mission is evident: lead with purpose, serve as a mentor for his players and leave the program in a better place than he found it.

“Staples football, to me, is and always has been the best program in the state of Connecticut,” Jacowleff said. “My goal is for everyone in our area to know that.”

Photos by Camille Blundell ʼ27

Graphic by Camille Blundell ʼ27

ALUM SUBMISSION

STAPLES FORMER STUDENT POSES CONCERNS

Tom Zhang ʼ23

D ear Staples students and faculty,

I’m Tom Zhang from the Staples class of ‘23 (which makes me an old-head) and I currently study Computer Science (CS) on the Machine Learning (ML) + Artificial Intelligence (AI) track at Caltech, the same university that Sheldon Cooper and Walter White attended.

While at SHS, I often volunteered to help with some math and science classes in my free periods1 which gave me a sense for what it’s like to be a teacher.

So, I wanted to provide some background on principles behind large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, dangers of using AI as a student, and how AI can better serve teachers and, in turn, students.

The Guessing Machine

AI is a very new field of science so a lot of the terms are B.S.2 If you go back in time, AI would be called Machine Learning, and before that, Statistics.

1 I think Principal Thomas gave me an award for that but I forgot to pick it up?

2 B.S. is what you get from a tech school

If you haven’t taken a statistics course before, it’s essentially a way to learn from data: creating visualizations/summaries, describing behaviors/populations, and predicting trends/outcomes.

Of these abilities, predictive modeling is the most recent common ancestor of what is today considered AI. In essence, ChatGPT and all the other LLMs are just next-word guessing machines that work as follows:

- Read a block of text as context

- Crank the numbers3 to guess the next word

- Repeat above steps until answer finished

The key is guessing the most likely next word in the chain. That’s the only thing LLMs are trained to do, the rest of the behavior is emergent4 from the statistical wizardry.

AI is not intelligent, it just knows which next word is most likely based on the previous words. AI is not dumb. It’s really good at exams and other tasks, but it’s smart in the same way that your smartphone is smart—it’s a smart tool, but it’s only a tool.

The Honor Code

As a student, using LLMs is a terrible idea not only because you will have an unfair advantage, but because you will not learn anything. It’s not okay to not learn because that makes your school a worse place; your classmates learn from you and vice versa.

Just ask the Staples Lifting Club: if you want to gain muscle to lift heavier

3 Take Calc BC, Multivariable Calc, Linear Algebra, Probability, and Statistics

4 Like in Biology!

weights, is the optimal workout going to be three sets of having the robot squat the weights for you? Or are you the one that’s gotta5 lift those weights?

Archimedes invented the lever not so that people could become more buff, but so that they can lift heavier weights without doing as much: AI is not the one unlocking its potential through understanding problem-solving and persuasion. It’s you. The human

The Sub?

Some students have expressed concerns about teachers using AI and AI replacing teachers, and these concerns are understandable because it would be detrimental for AI to dictate the content covered in classes or completely take over the role of teachers in the classroom.

However, these concerns are quite far from realization because a virtual teacher cannot replace a real teacher. As someone who remembers what it was like to go to virtual Zoom classes, I remember that everyone was just scrolling TikTok and playing Valorant.

But that might just be me!

Exercise Infinity

Every year, the great Staples migration of tests from upper- to underclassmen means some students already know what the test answers will be. As a teacher, there’s a constant need to tweak the test a little bit so that students can’t just memorize the answers.

CONCERNS OF STUDENT RELIANCE ON AI

Imagine if a certain clever teacher wrote a program to generate new problems for every single test so that there’s no longer a need to write new tests every year and change the questions manually…

Well, this has already happened at Staples!

Is this bad? No, it’s amazing! Every teacher would probably volunteer a sizable fraction of their salary just to get one of these programs written so that they don’t have to rewrite tests anymore.

Teachers can cut out so many menial tasks from their lives just by incorporating AI into their routines—from problem generation/grading to summarizing student feedback/suggesting improvements

Are We Cooked?

At Caltech, when we see fire, we like to think about it as the gift of fire from Prometheus.

Every revolution, including the AI

Revolution, is a trial by fire. Although the current state of AI in education might look like an episode of Kitchen Nightmares, it’s more likely that education will be reborn with a higher capability of serving learners and educators.

Ultimately, as a school with some of the greatest teachers in the world (not kidding), it’s the role of Staples to lead the way in the future of AI-assisted education. Also, if you’re an administrator, then you might get a huge promotion for doing something like this!

To end this article, I would like to thank all the Staples teachers I’ve had—even if you gave me a B—because it was very useful! As the admissions officer reading my transcript wrote in my file, “This kid has a few B’s, which is quite refreshing to see.” So teachers, keep refreshing these kids’ transcripts!

If you enjoyed this article, please read the full version online! If you have any feedback, please feel free to reach out by email at txzhang@caltech.edu!

Usually, Inklings will not edit submissions; however, due to length, this was cut down. Scan this QR code to read his full article: