The Official Student Newspaper of Miss Porter’s School
Winter 2025
SALMAGUNDY
Daisy Market Reopens with New Security Measures Following Theft
By Angie Liu ’28 Staff Writer
The Daisy Market reopened last month with new anti-theft measures in place after school officials closed the snack store in December to investigate ongoing theft.
The theft was first discovered when sales of Nautical Bowls, frozen fruit bowls, exceeded the number of bowls in stock, resulting in losses exceeding $500.
Following the closure, Liz Schmitt, chief enrollment and student affairs officer, offered an amnesty policy to encourage students to admit to stealing and participate in a restorative project. More than 50 students came forward.
“The response was overwhelming,” Schmitt said in an interview with journalism students in January.
She said the students “engaged thoughtfully in conversation and the restorative project, and contributed excellent ideas” to improve the store’s security.
The proposed measures include random surveillance checks, stricter inventory control and more efficient checkout procedures.
Johanna d’Almeida ‘26 said she was glad to see school officials give students an opportunity to address the theft problem productively
“I admire how instead of simply punishing students, Porter’s took steps towards practicing restorative justice,” she said.
Former CNN Reporter Promotes Empathy, Action
By Serena Lok ’28 Staff Writer
Afghan women are facing unprecedented oppression under Taliban rule, and their stories must be amplified, a former CNN reporter told Miss Porter’s School students and faculty members.
“The voice of women is considered illegal in Afghanistan,” Atia Abawi said. “You can’t speak too loudly, because it could incite a man as if it’s her fault, not his.”
Abawi, an award-winning journalist and author who covered the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan, spoke as a Prescott speaker in February. Her talk, which was part of a series focused on democratic citizenship, focused on cultivating empathy for people suffering around the world.
As a foreign correspondent for CNN, NBC News and other outlets, Abawi served as a bureau chief in Kabul and also covered conflict and crises in Iraq, Myanmar, Greece and Israel. For various assignments, she embedded with NATO, U.S. and Afghan forces, dodging bombs and bullets and reporting from the battlefield on a satellite phone.
Born to Afghan parents who fled after the Soviet invasion in the early 1980s, Abawi grew up in the U.S. and began her journalism career at CTV 76 before joining CNN in 2008.
During her speech, Abawi highlighted deteriorating conditions for women in Afghanistan since the Taliban regained power in 2021.
“Every day almost feels like the Taliban has a new law that muzzles and oppresses women,” she said, citing restrictions including banning kitchen windows to enforce segregation of women from public view.
Drawing on her reporting in Afghanistan, Abawi shared the story of an 8-year-old girl who was sexually assaulted and forced to seek refuge in a Kabul women’s shelter. These shelters, once a sanctuary for women in a country where 90% face domestic abuse, have now been shuttered by the Taliban.
Reflecting on her career, Abawi opened up about challenges she faced as an Afghan woman. She said she experienced discrimination during her school years, which continued into her career, and sometimes hindered her recognition.
The Daisy Market boarded off after morning meeting anouncement about theft. Photo by Eileen DeLaO.
Atia Abawi with Tim Quinn, Chief Academic Officer. Photo courtesy of Atia Abawi.
CNN Reporter
“As a woman, you know prejudice, and they just make assumptions about you,” she said. “Be loud. Be aggressive. You are just as capable.”
Many students and faculty members complimented Abawi’s speech, praising her as one of the series’ most inspirational speakers.
“We wanted to expose everyone to stories from around the world and to get them from a journalist who’s been to those places,” Chief Academic Officer Timothy Quinn said on why the school invited Abawi.
Several audience members said Abawi’s visit reinforced the school’s mission to empower young women to shape a changing world.
Arianna Vasson ’26 said she admired Abawi’s bravery and found her message empowering.
“There are so many things I won’t do out of fear,” Vasson said. “Her words really encouraged me to follow my heart and passion, which will always stick with me.”
Abawi’s commitment to showing the human face of war resonated with Princess-Larrine Moore ’26.
“Seeing her be such a strong woman going onto the literal battlefield and having a family at home while pursuing her passion despite adversity is incredibly inspiring,” Moore said.
Students Read Atia Abawi’s Book and Engage in Meaningful Discussions
By Claire Shen ’28 and Leanne Liang ’28 Staff Writers
On Feb. 6, Miss Porter’s welcomed Atia Abawi, an award-winning journalist and author, to speak about the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover. Abawi, with years of experience working in war zones, narrated harrowing yet inspiring accounts of the struggles faced by people in Afghanistan. She stressed the importance of connection and volunteer work when it comes to helping refugees seek stability in foreign lands. Abawi’s message was clear: to incite change, students need to equip themselves with both awareness and empathy.
Following Abawi’s visit, humanities teacher Michelle Fuentes organized a book club to continue the discussion on the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
Fuentes first guided a review of the highlights from Abawi’s speech, then delved into a discussion on Abawi’s book “A Land of Permanent Goodbyes,” a commentary on the realities of the war in Syria.
The book club’s purpose is to engage students in topics that they “are not often exposed to,” Fuentes said.
Ancients Lead Imagining Life Program for Seniors
By Charlotte Kronholm ’25 Outside the Bubble Arts & Travel Editor
Ancients returned to campus in January to inspire soon-to-be graduates.
The Obidimma “Obi” Olga Ibimina Okobi ’94 Imagining Life event, held annually for seniors and hosted by a group of Ancients. The night started with a presentation on the message and goal of the program: “[to connect] women and honor traditions.”
This was followed by introductions of the Ancients, and then break-out discussions in various locations. In the break-out spaces, seniors asked questions and Ancients shared their stories and perspectives, both about their time at Porter’s and their lives since graduating.
Each discussion began with a few scripted questions to get the conversations started, but students were quickly eager to ask their own – including memories made at Porter’s, college life, entering the work space and having children.
Major themes included taking risks and seeking balance in life. Many Ancients recounted times when they became siloed in their pursuits, focusing on a single goal at the expense of other experiences.
Many of the Ancients said the relationships they formed at Porter’s have stayed strong and supported them throughout their lives. The network, lessons and friendships made at Porter’s have not only helped them face many of life’s challenges, they said, but have also set them up to thrive.
at the age of 40.
Seniors and Ancients held group discussions during the Imagining Life event. Photo courtesy of Miss Porter’s School
The event honors Okobi, an Ancient, who died in 2017
A Land of Permanent Goodbyes. Photo courtesy of Amazon.
Campus Illness Overwhelms CWC
By Dodo Bi ’27 and Madeleine Bolno ’25 Staff Writers
It’s 8:15 a.m., and already there is no place to sit in the Colgate Wellness Center.
A line of students crowd the entrance, some slumped on the floor with feverish faces. A typical wait time of five minutes has turned into an hour as students are taken back by the nurses one after another.
This was a common scene at the CWC when the flu and other viruses broke out on campus in January.
“It has been unusually busy, with unprecedented flu rates this season,” said Georgia Burman, director of nursing at the Miss Porter’s School.
She said that for a two-week period all eight beds were occupied by students coughing and running a fever. While some students were being told to go home, others were left isolated in the health center or alone in their rooms.
“We were simply not staffed to take care of that many sick kids,” Burman said.
The outbreak began the week of Jan. 20, and the number of illnesses would show no signs of reduction until two weeks later when students returned to school after the long winter weekend.
The flu spread at an alarming rate, and by the time CWC staff realized it was escalating, it was too late to make a big difference, Burman said. However, the flu virus was more contagious than intense. School officials focused on sending any student with flu symptoms home.
Student Clara De La O ’27, who was sent home before the long weekend, worried “it would set (her) back with so much work.”
But parents generally favored the decision to send sick students home.
“I felt relieved about my girls coming home when they were unwell because I always prioritize resting and taking care of our health above all else,” said Lisa Hannich, mother of Charlotte and Ivy Hannich ’26.
Burman said students, especially in the boarding school setting, tend to prioritize going to classes instead of resting in the initial stages of illness – the exact opposite of what should be done to recover as swiftly as possible.
“If you’re sick, go stay home,” said Burman. “I’d much rather students miss classes for one day and realize it’s nothing than the opposite.”
This year’s flu season has been worse than previous ones. According to a recent New York Times article, hospitalization rates in the United States this season have hit their highest in eight years.
Despite the high infection rates, health officials said that some people have been reluctant to wear a mask, a key measure of flu prevention.
Burman found that after the pandemic people were traumatized by masking and believed that the masked people were “deathly ill.”
“As someone who has immune compromises and whose son has asthma, it is imperative for me not to bring sickness home,” said Alexandra London-Thompson, the theatre director. “It then becomes challenging when people around me aren’t wearing masks.”
Burman said she hoped for a more positive attitude toward masking. “If a friend is wearing a mask, it’s because they want to protect people around them,” she said, “and it’s not a lame thing.”
This year’s flu season brought some valuable lessons for the future, Burman said, noting that next year the CWC will return to its old policy of a five-day isolation for students who tested positive for flu. She also wants to normalize the idea of resting and masking even when showing mild flu symptoms.
“When it comes to flu season,” she said, “everyone’s just doing what they got to do.”
Porter’s Roboticists Compete at State Level
By Annabelle Horst ’26 and Addy McNear ’26 Staff Writers
The newly formed Porter’s robotics team has wowed the Porter’s community, placing 17th out of the 53 teams in the qualifying round at the competition at University of New Haven, and 37th out of 80 teams at the Connecticut High School V5 Robotics Championship on Feb. 23 and 24.
In both competitions, the team competed in several challenges, including building specific parts beforehand, then drove and controlled the robot at the competition, all while against other teams.
At the University of New Haven, Julia Koontz ’25 and Grace Luo ’28 worked together to advance their robot through driving and engineering. They prepared for the competition beforehand by tweaking autonomous codes and reviewing their game-day strategies.
Georgia Burman, director of nursing, said the CWC was not prepared for the campus flu outbreak in January. Photo by Arianna Vasson.
Roboticists
The competition is made up of six matches, with free time in between to fix and improve the robot for the next match. In order to gain points, teams are judged upon their robot’s ability to place as many out of the 48 rings onto a stake efficiently, all while protecting their own rings from being stolen. In the qualifying match, they paired with another team where one worked offensively and the other defensively.
While they faced some challenges with technical difficulties, they won four out of six rounds by placing several rings on two stakes which allowed them to qualify for the championships.
“The most important part is when you have hands-on experience with the robot,” Luo said.
Koontz and Luo competed for two days at the Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport.
“The first day was a little rocky, as we were working in between matches to fix things, but we were able to make things work out,” Koontz said. “On the second day, things were much more smooth sailing and we were able to run things more efficiently.”
While Koontz and Luo will not be attending the worlds event, they said they were grateful for the experience.
“I’m really proud of how far we’ve come with only two people on the team and it being our first year,” Koontz said. “From this point on I think we can reflect on the experience as a very great one and an opportunity to learn from the challenges and grow.”
MLK Community Day Encourages Student Awareness on Civil Rights
By Avery Zappone ’27 and Grace Hu ’27 Staff Writers
On the 20th of January, the Porter’s community came together and observed national Martin Luther King Jr. day in celebration of the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK), a prominent American civil rights activist.
The day included Head of Diversity Mary Zheng’s speech, a presentation by commissioner Andrea Barton Reeves, and 2 rounds of workshops with the first led by students and the second led by faculty. The first round of these workshops covered the different mediums of activism. Through this wide variety, assistant dean of equity and inclusion Ashley A. Amoabeng hopes of, “helping them [the student body] see that they are capable of creating change even at a young age.”
The community day this year was phenomenal thanks to the months of hard work by the MLK committee starting in early November.
This year’s theme was youth activism.
ART & TRAVEL
Chorus To Perform at Carnegie Hall
By Serena Lok’26 Staff Writer
The Miss Porter’s School chorus will perform at Carnegie Hall this March in a national choral festival – a first for the school.
Patrick Reardon, music director at Porter’s, has been planning the trip for several years since receiving an invitation from the Choirs of America.
“Musically, it’s an awesome experience in one of the most famous venues in the world working with high-level and accomplished conductors,” Reardon said. “Whenever you are taking a trip as an ensemble, the shared experience is something valuable that will help us grow as a group this year and moving forward.”
An Ancient donation covered half of the trip’s expenses; the school’s financial department provided the rest. The festival rate is $379 per performer for the 33-member chorus.
Jenna Reichen, assistant director of donor relations at Miss Porter’s, said the alumna is a recent graduate who was actively involved in the school’s arts program. The donation was made through her family foundation and designated for the arts in Miss Porter’s annual fund.
When Reardon announced the trip at a choral rehearsal, the students responded with gasps of excitement. Many were thrilled by the opportunity to perform at an internationally recognized venue.
Julia Koontz and Grace Luo competed in state robotics championships last month. Photo by Emily Bryk.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day Committee, 2025. Photo courtesy of Miss Porter’s School.
MPS Chorus
ART & TRAVEL
“The conductors who we will be working with have been on my bucket list for years as people that I would love to work with,” Reardon said, “so we made it happen.”
Camille Bartus ’27, who initially thought an audition might be required, expressed her enthusiasm: “Now that everyone gets to go, I love it. I can’t believe it.”
Choirs of America organized the event as part of its 2025 Nationals for Top Choirs from March 27-28. The performance will be March 28 at 6 p.m. The festival brings together choral ensembles from across the nation to perform in the Stern Auditorium of Carnegie Hall.
Rollo Dilworth, Jason Max Ferdinand and Coty Raven Morris are the principal conductors for the event, which will conclude with the world premiere performance of a newly commissioned piece by Dilworth, a professor of choral music education at Temple University.
The participating choirs will be divided into three ensembles, each guided by a principal conductor. Throughout the day, they will participate in clinics, workshops, and rehearsals hosted at Queens College’s Aaron Copland School of Music. Highlights include personalized coaching sessions with expert clinicians, opportunities for observation and collaborative workshops.
“I think this is an incredible opportunity,” Rachel Burwick ’27 said, “and I can’t wait to go to New York.”
Students Stay Cozy, Stylish with Pop of Color in Winter
By Arianna Vasson’26 Editor-in-Chief
Injecting personality into your cold-weather school style can be challenging, especially when all you want to wear are oversized hoodies and flannel pajamas. However, fashion trends at Miss Porter’s School allow students to effortlessly stay chic and stylish in their winter-weather wardrobes.
From chunky knit scarves to oversized cable-knit sweaters, Porter’s students have found ways to intertwine warmth and style with their winter attire.
Notably fashionable students on campus, Storey Shefferman ’26, Milla Perlman ’25 and Princess-Larrine Moore ’26 shared their opinions and insights on ways to indulge in warmth and texture during the dark yet festive seasonal days.
On campus, even on days with ample snow and ice, students find ways to bring pops of color and fashion into the dark weather.
“What strikes me most about the Porter’s community, compared to other schools I see or my hometown, is the abundance of color,” Shefferman said. “There's color throughout the winter, and I think that's a beautiful thing.”
This vibrant approach to winter fashion not only brightens the campus but also reflects the individuality and creative spirit of the Porter’s community. Bright hues seen in puffer coats, colorful scarves and statement shoes serve as a reminder that although it is frosty, style and self-expression can bring warmth and energy to the coldest days.
“The main thing for me is good materials,” Perlman said, “materials that are actually good for me, like cotton, cashmere, and items with a more natural composition—things that I’ll keep forever.”
Timeless essentials are also a staple in the Porter’s community during the gloomy stretch of winter. For students across campus, selecting forever collectibles is a chic, sustainable way to stay stylish in the winter.
Even so, students often retreat into comfort, choosing cozy pajamas over curated outfits. Shefferman also observes, “It's been a pajama pants and L.L. Bean boots-centric winter—a boarding school classic for time immemorial.” Effortless outfits range from casual loungewear to chic, put-together ensembles, yet students across campus still find ways to express themselves through their attire.
Moore ’26 has discovered a clever way to incorporate warm-weather pieces into her winter wardrobe.
“I am someone who personally likes to wear skirts and dresses, and while I want to be cute, I do not want to freeze my tail off,” Moore comments. “So, I have personally been wearing fleece-lined, skin-colored stockings—they are so cute and elevate almost all of my outfits.”
Opting for stylish add-ons to cold-weather staples is the key to braving the cold without sacrificing style. Winter in the Northeast makes ordinary tasks (such as curating an outfit) much more difficult, especially when the priority is warmth. It is a daunting task to prioritize fashion while staying toasty, but Porter’s students still manage to showcase their undeniably chic, versatile winter style despite the chilly season.
Storey Shefferman makes a statement in the snow.
Photo by Arianna Vasson.
Music director Patrick Reardon leads chorus rehearsal in preparation for a spring performance at Carnegie Hall. Photo by Hannah Satran.
Storey Shefferman
Best Layering Hacks for New England Winters: Uniqlo base layers and synthetic fabrics for optimal warmth and moisture control.
Winter Trend Obsession: Sparkles, deep purple, and sheer fabrics for a stylish seasonal touch.
The Ultimate Cozy Outfit for Snow Days: A pair of MoonBoots, cable-knit pants, a vintage APC sweater, an Arc’teryx beanie, and a printed puffer jacket.
Milla Perlman
Best Layering Hacks for New England Winters: White long sleeve tees under everything. I love a good white collar peeking out of a sweater. Winter Trend Obsession: Fringe on everything, playing with texture!
The Ultimate Cozy Outfit for Snow Days: Jeans, western boots, turtle neck, wool coat, + scarf
Princess-Larrine Moore
Best Layering Hacks for New England Winters: Fleece-lined, skin-colored stockings.
Winter Trend Obsession: Pink jackets and coats.
The Ultimate Cozy Outfit for Snow Days: UGGs, flare leggings, a cute long-sleeve top or a crewneck, layered with a vest, and a beanie!
OUTSIDE THE BUBBLE
SALMAGUNDY
Juggling Jobs and Homework, Students
Learn Time Management
By Lily McLellan ’26 Staff Writer
Some students at Porter’s have found ways to balance their busy school schedules with a job outside of school.
Day student Tenley Davis ’26 works as a hostess at a local restaurant where she interacts with a variety of customers.
“Learning how to talk to all kinds of people and keep my composure during tough situations has been a good learning experience,” Davis said. “I am able to carry those skills with me through other situations outside of work and school.”
But it can be challenging to juggle her obligations, she added.
“It’s about having time management and taking responsibility, as well as being on top of your schoolwork,” she said. “You have to have a plan.”
Day student Maggie Considine ’26 spends much of her time outside of school modeling. She said that working in a professional environment helps her learn important communication skills.
“Practicing communication skills and professionalism have been two things that have helped me to learn how to work with many different types of people,” Considine said.
The location of Porter’s provides a variety of walking-distance job opportunities suitable for boarding students, too. Shaina Mezheritsky ’26 works as a part-time cashier at a Dunkin’, a 20-minute walk from campus.
“Time management has been a big takeaway from balancing school and a job because I am required to uphold the responsibility of getting to work on time and also leaving time for schoolwork and activities,” Mezheritsky said.
She said her supervisors support her needs as a student.
“I am really lucky to have managers that understand my school schedule and are able to accommodate my hours accordingly.”
Maggie Considine balances academics with professional modeling. Photo by Noel A Valeso.
Shaina Mezheritsky working at Dunkin before heading to class. Photo courtesy of Shaina Mezheritsky.
OPINIONS
Generative AI in Classrooms
By Liv Minnehan ’26 and Dechen Shingsar ’26 Staff Writers
It’s not just ChatGPT—it’s also image generators, Grammarly, and even that little box that appears when you search something on Google. Like it or not, generative AI is becoming an increasingly significant presence in our lives.
Artificial Intelligence is a technology that enables machines to simulate human learning, comprehension, problem-solving, decision-making, creativity, and autonomy. In Miss Porter’s classrooms, AI helps create slides, explains how to solve math problems, generates images for presentations, and even serves as a tool for formative assessments through conversation.
Chief Academic Officer Tim Quinn says he has found ways in which it can help him do his job more efficiently and better. It can be helpful for brainstorming, organization, or generating input for otherwise time-consuming tasks. “It can be a very effective executive functioning tool,” said Maureen Lamb, Latin teacher. AI saves us the time and effort that we can refocus on what we consider better, worthier pursuits. But what is the cost of such a powerful tool?
AI is known to be harmful to the environment, source people’s work without crediting them, and generate false information. It also takes away from students themselves: denying them the crucial opportunities to practice important life skills like creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking, leaving them reliant on unpredictable technology.
“I think asking AI to write an essay totally removes the process of thinking and being creative as human beings,” Julia Koontz ’25 said.
Helen Shearon ’25 warns that inaccurate outputs can teach students the wrong thing and hurt their learning. When doing schoolwork, the results are as important as the process of achieving them.
Humanities teacher Nida Kazmi believes that students who use generative AI for schoolwork will be at a disadvantage compared to their peers because they will lose their individual skills and voices. Julia Kootz agrees, saying, “I think the overuse of AI in education is doing more harm than good.”
Some people argue that teachers should also be held to the same standards when it comes to using AI in the classroom. Today, students believe that there should be certain restrictions on the use of AI from teachers.
“I just think that the excessive use I’ve seen with some teachers feels like I’m not getting the education I paid for,” Koontz said “I feel like I should be taught by my teachers and not a ChatGPT summary.”
In response to the judgment that this is hypocritical of teachers, Tim Quinn explains, “The nature of student and teacher usage are very different. Students are building skills and teachers have already learned them. Their job is to help students build that skill.”
So how should teachers support students when it comes to navigating AI if the two experiences are so different? “I don’t think the idea is mandating and requiring everyone to use AI,” Lamb said. “I do think the idea is we want everyone to have a form of literacy about how to use generative AI.”
It’s important to respect a student’s personal priorities and ethics—after all, developing our own thoughts and opinions is central to what Porter’s strives to teach us. However, learning to use these applications safely, ethically, and responsibly is what will best prepare us for an uncertain future.
Students Feel Overwhelmed by Overscheduling
By Jessica Lin ’27 Outside the Bubble and Layout Editor
As the seasons shift from Fall to Winter to Spring, the pace of life at Miss Porter’s School only seems to accelerate. Between rigorous coursework and a packed schedule of extracurriculars, the whirlwind of daily events begins to catch up, leaving students balancing academics and activities.
Other than the 25-minute lunch block, there is barely any free time on regular, full-length weekdays. Community times and y-blocks are all filled with clubs and extracurricular activities, some of which overlap with others. Even in the afternoons, there is a clear lack of free time, as students follow the connected schedule of afternoon activities, dinner, study hall, and lights out.
Every day feels repetitive.
Screenshot of the schedule with only classes and academic committments on Blackbaud. Photo by Jessica Lin.
Screenshot of a google calendar with all of junior Makoto Suzuki’s meetings and obligations. Photo courtesy of Makoto Suzuki.
OPINIONS
“Especially as a student leader with so many pre-scheduled meetings, I always feel like I'm overscheduled,” Makoto Suzuki ’26 said. “I usually have two or three meetings going on at the same time and need to decide how to split those and squeeze them into my actual schedule. ”
Lucie Martinelli ’27, a day student, said that her day “is so busy. I have no free time until late into the night!”
Many day students have commitments outside of school and find their lives consumed by their obligations at Porter’s.
Study hall has also become less helpful as students discover the amount of homework they receive daily fails to fit into the 90 minutes in the evening.
“Study hall alone is usually not enough time to finish all my work,” said Ellie Riva ’27.“I often find myself using my free time in the afternoons for homework.”
The immense workload some students experience can mess with their sleep schedule, as they often find themselves staying up late and waking up early to complete their schoolwork. Even though we only have three classes a day, each class lasts for 90 minutes, leaving around 45 minutes to an hour of homework every night.
“I sleep at around midnight on school nights, usually spending night time as free time due to most of my day consumed by school work, or I’m staying up doing homework” day student Avery Zappone ’27.
Savannah Bowers Makes Waves
By Caroline Callahan’26 Staff Writer
Porter's Varsity Swim continued to ride the “green wave” into success this winter, showcasing an incredible act of dedication and athletic achievement.
In a meet against Choate Rosemary Hall on Feb. 5, Savannah Bowers ’27 set a new varsity record for the 200 IM event with a time of 2:03:43, surpassing her previous school record.
In addition, Bowers broke the previous record for the pool in this event, which has stood since 2020. Bowers and her teammates beat Choate by a final score of 96-90.
In pursuit of breaking the record for over a year, Bowers described the moment as "satisfying because I put a lot of work in, and it feels good knowing that I'm progressing and that my hard work is paying off."
She said she hopes that the team will be able to break more records.
"I definitely think we [our team] can break another relay record,” Bowers said. “I'm really excited to see what we will do through the championships this year and years to come."
She praised teammates Bella Zurolo ’27, Sarah Henderson ’26 and Lauren Moore ’26 who also broke the 200 freestyle relay.
"They are always putting in hard work at practice and at meets, and they deserve recognition for all of their hard work," Bowers said.
That dedication is something Bowers believes is important for any Porter's athlete. Offering advice to other athletes, Bowers emphasized the importance of commitment.
"Motivation is so important,” she said, “but most of all discipline is what separates a good athlete from a great athlete.”
The Porter's varsity swimmers defeated Choate on Feb. 5. Photo by Stephen Wang. Savannah Bowers ’27 broke the Porter's record for 200 IM event. Photo by Stephen Wang.
SALMAGUNDY
The Official Student Newspaper of Miss Porter’s School
Winter 2025
NEWS
SALMAGUNDY
MLK Community Day Promotes Youth Activism
By Avery Zappone ’27 and Grace Hu ’27 Staff Writers
For the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Community Day, Porter’s students celebrated the Civil Rights leader’s legacy by focusing on youth activism. The event featured speeches, workshops, and performances.
The day began with speeches by Head of Diversity Mary Zheng and Andrea Barton Reeves, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Social Services.
The speeches were followed by two workshops led by students and faculty.
Assistant Dean of Equity and Inclusion ashley amoabeng said she hoped a wide variety of activities would help students see that “they are capable of creating change even at a young age.”
The afternoon workshops allowed students a choice to relax by reading and coloring or to engage in further political discussions, including the inauguration of President Donald Trump.
The day ended with “At the Table with Dr. King,” a multifaceted performance by More Than Music, a music group that performs live shows at schools to teach students about King and the Civil Rights Movement.
The community event has evolved from traditional assemblies to dialogue-centered programming that encourages students to learn and apply the values of King. Organizers of the event said that action is crucial, especially in election years.
amoabeng recognizes that many students not eligible for voting “can sometimes feel helpless in the face of larger political and social issues.”
She said she wanted to use the day to highlight how activism can go beyond voting.
“It’s about using (one’s) voice, organizing, and taking action in ways that matter to them,” she said.
The event’s planning committee began work in early November and met every Monday night to create groups, workshops, and schedules.
The youth activism theme was inspired by the advocacy undertaken by many young people today. This concept was woven into the schedule through workshops and performances, emphasizing individual advocacy and leadership. The sessions allowed students to reflect on King’s impact, learning how to apply his values to their lives.
ART & TRAVEL Students, Faculty Look Back on Winter Festival Memories
By Victoria Culver ’27 Staff Writer
As winter continues, Porter’s students and faculty reflected on their memories of winter festivals celebrated across different cultures. These festivals unite people, spreading joy, togetherness, and cultural diversity during the coldest time of the year.
For faculty member Alexandra London-Thompson, the Quebec City Winter Carnival is a childhood memory that cannot be erased.
“The Quebec City Winter Carnival was magical as a kid: stunning architecture, culinary delights, fun winter activities, mind-blowing ice sculptures, and the creepy, yet charming, Monsieur Bonhomme” she said.
The celebration, with its night time parades, ice canoe races, and extravagant ice palaces, has been a beloved tradition for decades, invigorating the city with people, color, and lights.
Marta Linnéa Rupf ’28, said she celebrates a variety of traditions, including Christmas and New Year’s, Samichlaus and Maslenitsa. Whether it’s the warmth and comfort of Swiss Samichlaus celebrations, the over-the-top parties welcoming the New Year, or the Slavic Maslenitsa tradition, the holidays brought her joy in the winter months.
At Porter’s, the season has its own magic for everyone. When winter comes, these celebrations remind students of the beauty of cultural diversity and the shared joy that unites them even in the coldest winter months. See Youth Activism Page 2
Martin Luther King Jr. Day Committee, 2025. Photo courtesy of Miss Porter’s School.
Marta Linnéa Rupf enjoyed celebrating winter festivals while growing up in Switzerland. Photo courtesy of Marta Rupf.
SALMAGUNDY
Youth Activism
To Sophia Seraile Yam ’27, a member of the planning committee, youth activism means “standing up for what you believe in as early as you can start.”
Organizers stressed the importance that young people take responsibility for the world, using their voices as a critical tool in creating change. King’s legacy, they said, demonstrates that anyone, regardless of age, can make an impact.
Students and faculty also discussed the ways in which King’s values resonate with the Porter’s mission, which challenges its graduates to “shape a changing world.”
“By coming together to honor MLK’s legacy,” amoabeng said, “we reinforce our shared commitment to justice and equity.”
Students participated in a variety of workshops on Martin Luther King Jr. Community Day on Jan. 20. Photo courtesy of Miss Porter’s
