2023-2024 MOR Issue 3

Pay to Play pg.3 新年快乐 pg.5

Hey readers,

Sports & Culture

Good Graders pg.7 Shaps pg.11

Saravong pg.13

Got Plant? pg.15

Paul Bamford pg.17

Take a Hike pg.20

The Cost of Tipping pg.23

Why So Soon? pg.25

Mapping Opinion pg.27

Staff-Letes pg.29

Underage Wages pg.31

MOR is back with Issue 3! This quarter, our staff took a break from reporting and traveled to New York City to attend the Columbia Scholastic Press Association’s 100th annual Spring Convention. Over three days, we attended workshops to improve our reporting and writing and were even inspired to update the magazine’s layout. See if you can spot the changes!

Even though the magazine’s design is fresh, we’ve kept the cover consistent by featuring another student artist or, in this case, artists. The cover, created by seniors Owen Stark and Connor Wilson, is a front-to-back spread with a hand spewing cash. It highlights three articles in this issue about money: Mia Boyd’s “Pay to Play” (pg. 3), which covers the students who pay hundreds of dollars to play sports at ORHS; Mairtin Sweetman’s “The Cost of Tipping” (pg. 23), a features story describing the digital tipping dilemma; and Maeve Hickok’s “Underage Wagers” (pg. 31), an article featuring the large circle of students involved in underage sports betting and gambling.

When you eventually get sick of reading about money, be sure to check out our other non-cash-related coverage, like Amelia Rury’s “None of Your Teachers are Good Graders” (pg. 7). If you want more about what’s going on inside the classroom, you should read Maeve Hickok’s story, “Mapping Opinions” (pg. 27) on how political conversations in New Hampshire public schools are shaped by geographic location.

MOR staff also continued our fun multimedia coverage throughout quarter three. James Li’s “Myth Busters” video takes us on an epic quest with one question in mind: is his cut authentic or has Jim Thibault been wearing wig? Hazel Stasko goes on a different type of quest, re-capping the spring musical in her video “Behind the Curtain: The Making of ORHS’s Little Women.” These are included as QR codes!

More projects, including time sensitive stories, can be found on our website: https://mor.news.

Thank you so much to everyone who helps support our magazine. We couldn’t do it without you.

Catch you for the next issue,

Mia Boyd and Abby Owens

Meet the Staff

Byline Photos

by Mia Boyd

Mouth of the River Mission Statement

MouthoftheRiverseekstoreliablyinformthestudentbody,aswellasthesurroundingcommunity,ofinterestingandnewsworthycontentinamodern,compellingformat.Ourgoalasastaffistogivevoicetothestudents ofOysterRiver,andhaveitheardbyallourstudents.TheopinionsexpressedinMouthoftheRiverrepresent those of the writers and staff.

Mia Boyd (she/her) (‘24) Co-Editor in Chief

Abby Owens (she/her) (‘24) Co-Editor in Chief

Micah Bessette (he/him) (‘24) Multimedia Editor

Maeve Hickok (she/her) (‘24) Buisness Manager

Kevin Kell (he/him) (‘25) Social Media & Website Manager

Hannah Klarov (she/her) (‘25) Layout Editor

James Li (he/him) (‘24) Sports & Culture Editor

Delaney Nadeau (she/her) (‘24) News Editor

Amelia Rury (she/her) (‘25) Features Editor

Hazel Stasko (she/her) (‘24) Creative Manager

Martin Sweetman (he/him) (‘25) Opinion Editor

PAY To PLAY

Oyster River athletes are paying hundreds of dollars to play for their high school teams.

written by MIA BOYD

MAIRTIN SWEETMAN

For the pretty lump sum of five hundred dollars, Oyster River High School (ORHS) students have been offered an excellent opportunity: the promise of being bruised, battered, and pummeled into the ground.

ORHS students are charged $500 to play football for the Oyster Riv-

who do not have to. This means that the ORHS athletes playing girls hockey would experience the same perceived inequality as the ORHS football players and Spirit cheerleaders – all of which are cooperative teams.

Cooperative or not, the cost for ORHS students to play on any sports

“Bypayingforonesport,theywouldhavetopayforallofthem,”

-AndyLathrop

er-Portsmouth Clipper Cats, but Portsmouth High School (PHS) students play for free. The system is strongly disliked by some of the players and the student body who know this. However, everyone on the team is being charged the same amount; PHS policy dictates that they cover the cost for all their student-athletes to play sports throughout the school year. The divide is ORHS policy: all athletes are entirely self-funded, and for a few sports, the cost is high.

There are three ORHS and Portsmouth (PHS) combined athletic teams: football, girls ice hockey, and Fall Spirit (cheer). While football costs a steep $500, the girl hockey players are each charged a steeper $850, and Spirit athletes pay $75. The ORHS boys hockey team also pays $850. Right now, there are 14 ORHS girl hockey players in the combined program, 25 ORHS football players, and 6 on Fall Spirit, the combined cheer team.

For the Oyster River boys hockey team, playing comes at a high cost, but everyone is faced with the same one. For some of the athletes on cooperative teams, it feels like an inequality because they are mixed in with student-athletes

team depends on the number of athletes in the sport and the cost to run the program. The Portsmouth athletic director, Tom Kozikowski, said, “Ice hockey is more expensive due to the rental of the facility, so hockey players would pay more than someone on the cheerleading team, where the overhead expenses for the cheerleading program will be significantly lower.”

“You know, it’s their school so it’s almost like we are joining them,” said Landon Wolusky (25’), a varsity player

on the Clipper Cats football team from Oyster River. Unlike hockey, they aren’t on a neutral playing field—they are on the Portsmouth playing field.

According to Eliza Wheeler (‘24), who is a captain on the girls’ hockey team, this isn’t the same way a lot of them view it. “We just feel like one team, and I don’t normally think of us as two schools, because it kind of feels like playing for a club team; everyone can come from literally anywhere and we just learn to play together.”

In hockey, a huge cost is ice time. For football, expenses include the costs of equipment, equip - ment testing, jerseys, etc., but because the practices all happen at PHS on their fields, that is not something included in the costs. But for some of the ORHS football players it’s not just about the number.

For any of these sports, however, the price tag can still play a defining role in

whether an ORHS student athlete decides to play. Alex Montagano (‘26) played for the freshman Clipper Cats last year but did not play again this year. “The Portsmouth kids get to play for free, but we have to pay and it’s not really fair,” he said.

“I’ve had to pay all four years of high school because ice time is just so expensive,” said Wheeler. The Oyster River boy’s hockey team and the ORHS/ PHS girl’s cooperative team both have boosters’ programs that fundraise a lot of the money. She added, “We fundraise; our boosters organize it, and that can help lower the cost a little.”

The ORHS boys hockey program is in a similar position. “If we had a student who couldn’t afford to pay, that’s something the boosters would help with,” said Peter Harwood, the ORHS boys’ hockey coach.

In the case that either team cannot afford to pay, or the boosters cannot cover it, the high school would pay for the student. “We would never let financial need prevent a student from playing on an athletic team,” Lathrop said, adding, “the school would always take care of whatever that cost is.” This

money would come from the athletic department’s annual budget.

This past season, when the problem came up for a few Oyster River students on the Clipper Cats football team, they set up fundraisers at Portsmouth High School that covered the costs. Kosikowski said he heard about these afterwards and that he feels it “was a great display of building a team.”

Both athletic directors agree that if the ORHS athletic department had known about the need prior to the fundraiser, those students would have been taken care of by the school. “I think it was really just a miscommunication,” said Lathrop.

Five years ago, in January of 2018, the Oyster River school board voted to start their first cooperative athletics program with PHS: football. This was followed with the establishment of the ORHS-Portsmouth girls hockey program the next year.

“It was my first year working as the athletic director here [ORHS] and there were some people -- families and students -- who came to me about playing football,” said Andy Lathrop, the ORHS athletic director. According to Lathrop, from there, they presented to the school board, where the idea of starting a cooperative team was proposed and then approved.

This approval for a cooperative team did not impact the procedure for ORHS students: student athletes on a cooperative would be self-funded like all of their other student-athletes.

“By paying for one sport, they would have to pay for all of them,” said Lathrop. In comparison with sports such as volleyball, soccer, track and field, etc., the associated costs are much higher for sports like hockey and football. That is why playing these sports while being self-funded comes with a price tag.

ORHS student-athletes are paying a cost not paid for by the Oyster River School District, that goes directly into paying for the costs associated with their sport. This cost has deterred some student-athletes at ORHS from competing, but they are not costs associated with being on a cooperative team.

The goal of the co-op teams is to give more students an opportunity to compete in their sports. However, that does not mean these opportunities are equal to those of PHS students.

Cam Fournier (‘25) who plays for the Clipper Cats football team, experiences that feeling of inequality firsthand: “We should all pay, or none of us should.”

新年快乐

ORHS hosts its first Chinese New Year Celebration.

written by JAMES LI

Good food, music, and even a lion dance are all the ingredients of making a great event. With an attendance of nearly 300 and raising $800 for the Oyster River High School (ORHS) Mandarin program, Mandarin teacher Lisa Fan considers the Lunar New Year community day a success.

However, it wasn’t all that easy. Although the event was very popular with its food and displays, it took a lot of coordination from Fan and many other teachers, parents, students, and friends to really pull this celebration together and display the essence of Chinese culture.

As soon as she started teaching, Fan has always been looking for ways create community events, which was a challenge. Although Oyster River is one of the few school districts that teach Mandarin (it is also taught at the middle school), it’s not very popular among students. “I think many people don’t really know the culture, or people think [Mandarin] is a very hard language,” she said. “I wanted to do a lot of community outreaches to expand the program. That’s my ultimate goal.”

That’s when she decided to create a celebration focused on food. “I always felt like food brings people together. Also, being a native Chinese, I don’t find any authentic Chinese food here,” continued Fan. Along with her network of friends, they created a majority of what was served at the festival.

At first, the community reception of a Lunar New Year event had an underwhelming response. “The first time I posted [on social media], there was very little feedback. So, I always had this expectation because this is our first year, we’re going to start

slowly, maybe just have a small group to get together and share food,” she said. “Eventually, most of the registrations came in the last three or four days. It really exceeded my expectations.”

The event occurred on Saturday, February 10th, the day of the Lunar New Year and the beginning of the year of the Dragon. Running from 10 to 2 in the ORHS cafeteria, it included various food stalls like mochi, dumplings, spring rolls, rice cakes, fried rice, and other Chinese dishes.

Later, there were students performing Chinese Allegro and even a dragon dance to conclude the event. There were many more showcases, like arts and crafts, calligraphy, and other displays. “It was so nice to see so many people in one place. There aren’t that many communities here, and it’s good to see everyone having a good time,” said Jamie Gehling (‘25), one of Fan’s Mandarin 5 students.

English teachers Jake Baver and Alexander Eustace came into the event expecting something small. “A lot of people were making food and selling things at a scale I really was not expecting. [The Mandarin teachers] really put on the work to make something that people actually wanted to be a part of,” said Eustace.

However, the main thing these Writing Center dwellers were here for was the Lion dance. “What mattered most was seeing the lion dance,” said Baver. “I thought the lion dance would be lions. Well, apparently not according to the Chinese culture. I mean, don’t get me wrong. If that’s what a lion looks like, that’s what a lion looks like.”

In the future, Fan hopes to not only continue this tradition, but also include New Year celebrations of other

cultures as well. “My original thought was to do Lunar New Year, because China is not the only country that celebrates ‘Chinese New Year:’ People from Vietnam, Japan, and Korea also celebrate Lunar New Year. This time, only the Chinese community responded, but in the future if more people want to join, it will be more international,” she explained.

Despite it being Fan’s first time hosting this event, she felt like she’s changed many people’s views on the Mandarin program. “When I joined the school, I had very mixed feedback from the students and the community, saying that the program is declining. Now, I love the fact that people actually care.”

Eustace(left)andBaver(right)enjoyingameal.

Thedragondance.

Fan(thirdfromright)andherfriends

None of Your Teachers are “Good Graders”

You just don’t want to learn what they’re teaching.

written by AMELIA RURY

art by KATHERINE STONE

The first time I cried after receiving a grade was during my sophomore year. I could say that looking back, it wasn’t really a bad grade. But then I’d have to say what a bad grade would have been. At the time I probably had a number in mind, the divide between being content and disappointed.

I wasn’t the only one who had an imaginary number set up after hitting submit. I certainly wasn’t the only one who scored lower than this benchmark I’d made up. I also may not have been alone in saying I felt upset at the teacher during that moment. How could they not see how much I tried? Is it possible they did realize, and had still given me that score?

Was it because my view of what a fair grade would have been was completely warped?

The most accurate and fairest grade isn’t usually the highest one.

Teenagers are so motivated by the highest value they can possibly get, no matter what they learned (or didn’t) during the class. Originally, the only goal was to make sure that people left their education system with this knowledge, regardless of what the numbers said about them.

Grades have skewed so far beyond the point of evaluation. I’ve heard people say that their grades don’t reflect what they have learned in a certain class. This is the only thing the number was ever supposed to show.

There are so many factors now, since a slim difference between percentages could reflect as so much more with a little shifting through scaling, revisions, or any other means. The education system is advancing so much, point by point, and the evaluation system has yet to catch up with it.

This gap is only growing. There’s a hunger inside most students to get the best grade they can, and we’re learning how to make sure that happens.

Over the past three years, I’ve had plenty of similar conversations about classes I’m taking. I didn’t notice how I became so easily swayed until recently, when I began to make my last course selections of high school.

How am I not supposed to have a mental statistic of what

a good grade should be on every single assignment? It’s the defining characteristic of any word-of-mouth description of a class. More importantly, the defining characteristic of the teacher.

Oh,you’retakingthatclass?He’saneasy grader,I’msureyou’llbefine.

IfIgetintohisclass,I’lljustswitchsections.She’swaybetteratgrading,anyways.

Wait,don’tsignupforthatclass.I’veheard shesreallyharshandyourGPAcoulddrop.

“If there’s a class that two teachers are teaching, you’ll hear ‘I want this teacher because they give better grades,’ and that’s such a degrading mentality,” said Rose Goldsmith (’25).

“One of my friends has asked ‘who do you have?’ and then would automatically get annoyed because they realized they were learning everything, but they’re not getting the grade I have. It shouldn’t even make a difference. You’re still taking the same class,” said Shreya Joglekar (’25).

If one teacher has a reputation of giving higher grades than the other, any student enrolled in that class has an immediate shift in the standard they want to uphold during the class. This standard might not be achievable and become degrading for the student, until they burn out.

This isn’t the fault of either teacher in this scenario, regardless of whether they give out the “better” grades. It’s not the fault of the student, who’s comparing themself to what they’ve been told to expect. If you’ve taken a class because you’ve been told it’s an easy GPA booster, you’d understandably feel that there was something wrong with your performance if you don’t live up to this standard.

Paul Lewis, ORHS science teacher said, “We’re fighting with those who don’t have a natural interest in your subject.

While Lacasse doesn’t want a student to have the mentality that there’s no further they can go in terms of learning, he also is known for throwing a bone to his students to help them strive successfully. “He works hard to set us up to learn… there’s practice in the homework and practice FRQ’s and he still scales the tests,” said Riley Righini (’24).

Scaling refers to the act of changing individual student grades of a test or quiz, based on the overall performance of the class. Most teachers think of scaling differently, wheth-

summative assignments, but still thinks it creates disconnect between students, and their true, fair grade. “A lot of students think if they ask me to review their paper, then that means they’ll get an A,” she said.

The act of revising or doing a retake is putting more effort into the assignment, so I can understand the assumption that it will pay off. But for the student who understood the material originally and felt like they didn’t need to spend the extra time pushing themselves, now their grade might not come across with the same amount of effort, regardless of how it compares to that which was revised.

So what does a grade even reflect? Who is truly receiving a ‘fair’ grade? Are any teachers even giving fair grades?

I don’t think so. I don’t think I’ve ever received a grade that I both felt proud of and felt reflected every moment accurately, from the second I began to listen to the first lesson of a unit to the second I stood up to turn that test in. I don’t think I’ve ever looked at my new list of classes and thought to myself ‘I’m ok with the fact that I am not in the class with the teacher that people say is a good grader.’ I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone tell me that my grades do not define me as a student, and truly believed what they

If the men at Yale University who proposed a 4.0 grading scale back in the late 1790s could read this article, would they understand that I, a 16 year old girl, don’t feel like I’ve ever received a fair grade because of their original needs to advance education evaluation?

It’s so easy for me to look back and wonder what went wrong. The only answer I can come up with is how we as students are so trapped inside the perception of what an easily achievable grade is.

For the first time in my life, I can admit that the most truly fair and accurate grade I’ve ever received was the one that made me the most uncomfortable.

Case #1: Jim Thibault

Behind the Curtain: The Making of ORHS’ Little Women video by JAMES LI video by HAZEL STASKO

How Shaps is Shaping Education

Dr. Robert Shaps will begin to serve as the Oyster River Cooperative School District superintendent on July 1, 2024.

written by AMELIA RURY

He’ll become a familiar face for all students before then.

Shaps was officially announced by the ORCSD school board as the new superintendent on December 21, 2023, after spending 13 years in the Mamaroneck school district in New York. There, he discovered why he loves superintendency, building connections with students of all ages, and a genuine zest for being able to advance a school district to it’s highest potential.

The way that Shaps described his experiences in his previous years of superintendency brought a smile to his face. He said, “I really see the connection between the learning that happens in the classroom and the outside world. You could describe it as authentic learning, giving students the opportunity to make connections and supply what they’ve learned to outside of the classroom.”

During the New Hampshire primary elections of 2020, he found that connection. Shaps’ former students who were

enrolled in AP Government or the journalism program in Mamaroneck travelled to NH to apply their understanding of civics, and created Public Radio blog posts and digital segments about their experiences. “It’s taking the authenticity and making the application of learning come to life is what’s most exciting to me,” said Shaps.

When Shaps retired after this decade well spent, he felt as though it was the right time for him to explore other possibilities, and ultimately begin again. “I have been married for 40 years and my wife had her heart set on returning to New Hampshire. She’s been very supportive of my career, so this was my way of acknowledging that and moving to the seacoast,” said Shaps.

This retirement period has allowed Shaps to spend time with his family, but pursue some individual hobbies he hadn’t been able to. He puts so much of himself into the things he does, which is reflected in the sense of passion he

holds while talking about his hobbies. He took up learning Italian during the downtime, and got back into the exercising and active lifestyle. Shaps has competed in triathlons and played lacrosse at the collegiate level.

These interests from his own teenage years never faded from his mind, including the time he built the Souhegan girl’s la crosse team from a club into a sports team for his daughter to play. He’s equally excited to see how sports and activities affect the ORCSD.

“My plans for the spring are to attend some events here. Musicals, community dinners, spring sports, orchestra concerts, anything like that. Having that opportunity is so advantageous for me to learn and start to understand this place,” said Shaps. Heather Smith, chair of the search committee, also sees Shaps’ current position as an opportunity for a smooth transition. “We are very fortunate that Dr. Shaps is currently retired. Normally that’s not the case, and someone will finish up an assignment somewhere else… but he’s retired and excited to take on anything here, so I don’t know what his schedule looks like but there’s many things he can do during this transition window before he takes the reigns in July,” Smith said.

perintendent. He moved on to Hudson NY, serving as superintendent for 4 years, and finally, superintendent in Mamaroneck, NY for 13 years before retirement.

“Being an educational leader was a primary goal. I enjoyed being a principal because of the idea of getting to be in contact with students each day, but I gravitated towards what I envisioned was really helping the school. Superintendency is something that made sense for me,” said Shaps.

It was clear to me how much Shaps cares about not only the students, but education as a whole. This was also clear to the superintendent search committee, who had outlined four main values during the process.

Smith, and the rest of the search committee, organized countless rounds of interviews with different representatives. Maeve Hickok’s article “Superintendent Pending” gave an introduction to Shaps and other candidates, and an overview of the search process.

Smith detailed these values, “We were looking for someone who creates a district wide positive, collaborative, and inclusive environment. Someone who provides vision driven instructional leadership focused on the present and future successes of all students. Someone who is fiscally responsible and resourceful in securing and utilizing district resources. And we were looking for someone who is a spokesperson and advocate for students and education at the local and state level.”

“Myplansforthespringaretoattendsomeeventshere...Having that opportunity is so advantageous for me to learn and starttounderstandthisplace.”-Dr.RobertShaps

His resume was extensive, although it’s easy to understand why. Shaps collects experiences, and his life accomplishments are no different. He received a degree in English, followed by a Masters in teaching from Harvard, a CAG’s degree from UNH, and his Doctorate in Education from the University of Pennsylvania. “I’ve always been a learner as an adult, and that’s what has been modeling the type of work I do. But, I always had the interest to earn my doctorate, even though I don’t think it’s required,” said Shaps.

After graduating, Shaps began his career path with a teaching position in Londonderry, NH. He then helped start a regional school district in Manchester by the Sea in Essex, MA. Here, Shaps became the principal and later, su-

While Shaps didn’t know about these values during the search, he checks off every box. The importance of public education is not something lost on him, instead something he grew up with. “I come from a family of three generations that served in the military… so that sense of service and understanding the complexity of world affairs is something that has always been on my mind,” Shaps said. “It kind of brings me back to why doing this work in public schools is so important. It’s about understanding our country, our democracy, how public education is keeping our nation moving forward.”

If the coming months go according to Shaps’ plans, the ORCSD can get used to seeing him early on. Don’t be afraid to get to know your new superintendent, the man who says, “I love learning and I love being connected to it, so I hope to get to know students at all levels, their lives, and sense of community.”

Saravong Stays Winning

Ri-anne Saravong brings her passion for dance back to Oyster River High School.

written by HANNAH KLAROV

As the music pumped through the speakers and feet were hitting the floor, young Ri-anne Saravong was looking up at her older family members dancing, wishing she could become just like them, on a dance team.

Saravong is the new Oyster River High School (ORHS) dance team advisor, along with being a new paraeducator. She has helped the dance team members in going through with the dance showcase. Saravong has also been active in the ORHS community, connecting with and getting help for those who need it.

When Saravong first started teaching at ORHS this year, the thing that caught her eye was the dance team. She knew that she wanted to take part in it, but how?

Grace Kasper (‘25), one of the dance team captains, was at a regular meeting in which Saravong also attended and brought up the team. Kasper stated that the team was in need of a new advisor. Needless to say, Saravong was hooked.

Saravong states, “The first thing I really wanted to do coming in was like, I want to see [the team]...I know there were other advisors before me, but I definitely knew they were looking for someone. I kind of invited myself. I came in and I was just like, I love it. I want to be a part of this.”

Being the dance team advisor has helped Saravong replenish her longing for dance.

Saravong has been interested in dancing ever since she could walk. The feeling that dance gives her is irreplaceable. Even her collection of Step-Upmovies made her feel so happy as a child and really got her into dancing.

When she was young, she grew up watching members of her family dance professionally. She says, “There are a lot of family members who danced so good that they were in a dance crew. They did dance videos and I would always

her parents, she decided to take matters in her own hands. Saravong tried putting together a dance team at ORHS, but the plan fell through.

She states, “During my time, there were a lot of students who were not as confident as the new generation was. Of

“It feels like a weight has been lifted off of me because we finally have someone and...I feel like I can actually go to her and be like, can you help?”-GraceKasper(‘25)

want to watch or join, and I was kind of like their number one fan.”

Although many don’t know this, Saravong graduated from ORHS in 2019. Through high school, Saravong wanted to take professional dance classes and after several nos from

course, I would’ve loved to dance at school, but I didn’t do it. And I think at the time, like three people agreed to be on this dance team.”

Although Saravong doesn’t dance anymore, she, along with her cousin Vincent Xavapy (‘25), have found time in

their lives to incorporate it. “I dance at home; I dance at my cousin’s house. Like all our life, we first started to do it in the car...We have all of the Just Dances too.”

Using her passion for dance, she has been assisting the team captains in both the leadership and technical aspects of the team. Kasper recalls that, “As much as she’s absolutely incredible at managing social stuff and understanding our team dynamic, she also is able to understand the dance part and danced herself.”

of the activities Saravong helped out with was Unified Basketball.

Suoth admires that Saravong is passionate about helping students whether it be in class or out. “A lot of the students that she works with are through extracurriculars as well. She does a lot, whether that is helping out with dance or one time, she came in here and essentially hired my advisory to help make posters for the unified basketball game.”

Xavapy has seen Saravong be motivated and determined

“Shedoesalot,whetherthatishelpingoutwithdanceoronetime, she came in here and essentially hired my advisory to help make postersfortheunifiedbasketballgame.”-EdenSuoth

Kasper states, “It feels like a weight has been lifted off of me because we finally have someone and...I feel like I can actually go to her and be like, can you help?” Saravong has also been making an effort to show up at every single practice and being available to assist any of the team members.

Saravong has helped by looking out for and making corrections. She has also been learning the choreography to understand it from the dancer’s perspective. And, if she sees anyone that is struggling, she makes sure to reach out.

Eden Suoth, one of Saravong’s colleagues admires Saravong’s ability to just swoop in whenever someone needs help. “Even though we are both new hires here, she had an incredible wealth of information about the school, given that she went here. It’s really helpful to ask her what the school was like from her student perspective.”

When Saravong was a student, she knew that she wanted to be a paraeducator. She learned about Hellen Keller and all the things she was able to accomplish and spent a lot of time with the students in the Life Skills classrooms.

as core parts of her personality. He also says, “If you would go up to her and ask her for honesty, she will definitely give it to you. She’s definitely a trusting person and she’s just a good person to hang out with. Like her vibe is good and you definitely won’t be bored with her.”

Saravong truly likes working at the school as a paraeducator. She says, “The best part is just having fun hanging out with all the students, just talking to them as a person, not as a security. I was actually, one of the students that had a disability so, they see I’m living my lifestyle and how I’m doing with it. They’re sometimes also very surprised that I did have a disability.”

Saravong states, “It’s definitely different being on the teacher side than a student, because I can actually go into class with them and shadow them, what they do. And also, I didn’t realize that they do a lot of off campus stuff.” One

Saravong had a learning disability when she was in school and she uses it to her advantage to better connect with her students. She says, “I would want it to motivate them. I would want them to know, like if someone who has the same disability as me can do this, then why can’t I?”

When she was younger, Lilo and Stitch was (and still is), Saravong’s favorite movie. It has stayed with her, her whole life. The message from the movie is that nobody gets left behind or forgotten.

And whether it be in the Life Skills classroom, on the Dance Team, or in any aspect of her life, Saravong makes sure of that.

written by MICAH BESSETTE art by MADELINE HEALEY

I’ve always been a terrible plant parent. So bad, I’ve managed to kill even some of the most resilient plants, including a cactus. I really love the idea of keeping plants, I’m just so bad at it that sometimes it doesn’t feel worth it. I’m jealous of the people who have always been gifted at raising plants, and I wanted to know the secret.

Everyone has probably wanted or tried to raise plants at one point or another, but few people have taken this role of plant parent to the next level. Walking into these people’s houses might feel like entering a forest, but as soon as you’re in the space you feel relaxed and at home. Some of these plant carers have even taken a step up to spread the joy of plants around the school and their community.

James Oshima (‘24), Oyster River High School (ORHS)’s current primary plant caretaker, hasn’t always been skilled in caring for plants. “When I was in seventh grade, I really wanted a plant, so I went to [Wentworth Greenhouse] and got this fan plant and then it died because I forgot to take care of it so then I gave up for a while. Then, during the pandemic [...] I took these cuttings from one of my mom’s plants and put them into pots and I still have them in my room.”

Last year, Oshima and Adam Lacasse, a teacher at ORHS, saw the benefits of caring for plants and decided they wanted to share them with the rest of the school. That’s when they started a project where they organized hundreds of plants to spread all around ORHS.

Oshima thinks Project Plants is a good way to keep up morale within the school. “I think it’s really nice because you are caring for something that’s not like a dog. [...] It doesn’t come with all the com-

plications but you’re still keeping something alive, something is still relying on you and that gives you a sense of purpose and being.”

Plants can be a metaphor for life, thinks Madeline Healey (‘25), who’s been caring for plants since she was old enough. “I think plants are just another reminder and representation of how if you put effort into something and you take care of it and you care about it, it can blossom and turn into something wonderful.”

Lacasse explains what they plan to do with the dozens of plants still being stored in his classroom. “We’re going to keep on growing them. The idea here is to eventually have the stairway windows all have flower boxes in them to bring that element to our school.”

Oshima was hoping Project Plants would connect people within the school. “I intended it to connect advisories because it’s like you have that social aspect of ‘Ok, we’re all taking care of this thing.’ It’s like a class pet except it’s not going to die and there won’t be a dead hamster in the classroom one day.”

So why take care of plants? Believe it or not, caring for plants can improve many aspects of mental and physical health. According to the Healthline article “A Hobby for All Seasons,” a study found that “working with plants could reduce both physiological and psychological stress.” Along with these benefits, being in the presence of plants can increase attention span, improve air quality, and can increase recovery speed from illnesses.

Many plant parents, like Lacasse who began taking care of plants during COVID, have seen these effects. “I started researching more about plants and found out that people who are surrounded by plants typically have a greater degree of positive

“I think plants are just another reminder and representation of how if you put effort into something and you take care of it and you care about it, it can blossom and turn into something wonderful.”

mental health.”

Oshima has also researched some of the benefits of keeping plants and has a theory on why it’s so good for you. “Plants specifically are really good for your mental health because we developed near nature, so we are designed to need to be around plants. When you’re near a plant or looking at green things, it makes you happier.”

Because of this, plants can also improve the atmosphere of any room. “Plants elevate any space that they’re in, because it brings in nature. It feels a lot more cozy,” says Healey.

The coziest places are typically filled with plants on every wall, but plants can cost a lot of money. That’s why these plant parents have learned how to propagate and reproduce plants on their own!

“It’s one of those things where you can go out and buy a bunch of plants, but that’s kind of expensive, so I’ve learned how to propagate them and how to make plants from plants,” says Lacasse.

Caring for plants sounds fun, but where do you start? Oshima suggests getting a philodendron. “They’re so hard to kill.” A philodendron he likes to call his “plant son” was the first plant he got that he’s still keeping alive today.

Healey has always enjoyed caring for pothos plants and suggests them for beginners.

Stepping into Lacasse’s classroom you’ll see rows of long wiry plants and big bushy plants with purple leaves. These are spider plants and wandering

dudes, and they are the two plants Lacasse recommends to someone just getting into plant care. His other tip is to never overwater your plants, because that can lead to root rot and other damage. “I think that’s one of the number one reasons plants die is people just water them and water them. These ones [spider plants and wandering dudes] I like because if you underwater them, it’s actually not that bad.”

My underqualified opinion for new plant parents is something easy like a Christmas cactus. I’ve had a Christmas cactus in my bedroom for several years and there have been months that I’ve entirely forgotten about it, and it’s still thriving!

Oshima has enjoyed his time as primary plant caretaker at ORHS, but as a senior he’s looking for new hands to take on the role. “I think it’s a really good project for a student to have because it really helped me connect with the rest of the school.” If you’re interested in taking up the role, email Oshima at 24oshij@orcsd. org.

The benefits of caring for plants are huge, and have been discovered by many people within the community. If you’re looking to try something new that can give you a sense of pride and accomplishment, why not get a plant?

PAUL BAMFORD: A PILLAR

On Saturday, February 3rd, we lost a local hero. Paul Bamford passed away after spending his life as a pillar in the community.

written by DELANEY NADEAU

Paul was a loving father, husband, and passionate coach.

He was a big man, and not just physically, even though he towered over all of us and he had the biggest heart. When Paul walked into a room the energy shifted, in a way I can’t quite put into words. It didn’t matter if you had one conversation with him or had known him for years: you felt like you knew him. He simply brought out the best in people.

Paul and I grew close over the four years I spent golfing for him. In my sophomore Journalism class, I wrote an article about Paul because I wanted to highlight who he was and the role he played in leading the “Bobcats of Oyster River” to our first golf state championship title.

When I wrote that article, I never would have imagined drawing from it less than two years later. Now I’m writing a tribute to the man that played such a defining role in not just my life, but the lives of so many others.

Paul graduated from Oyster River High School in 1971 after a standout athletic career in both soccer and basketball. Paul then went on to study at UNH before a lengthy career with Liberty Mutual.

Linda Ellis poem, that emphasizes the importance of making the most out of a life summed up by the line between the day you’re born and the day you pass away.

“It’s hard to find someone like that,” recalled Aidan Whalen (‘22) who remembers Paul not just as a golf coach but also as a family friend. “His positivity towards just about everything was very special.” Aidan couldn’t be more right. No matter how much Paul had on his plate, he was always able to find something to smile about.

Another of my former teammates, Claden Daubney (’22) reflected on the day we “Raised the Plaque,” Paul’s motto for our 2021 season. In 2020, our team finished runner-up in the Division II Golf State Championship, and that lit a fire in us all. Paul fostered that fire for the next 364 days. “He was so proud of us. I’m glad we won it for him.”

Paul coached for over 40 years, but I know from his stories that he had been making an impact on the community for longer than that—all with the mission of making a difference in someone else’s life.

Paul approached coaching in the same way he approached life: the most important thing was to be a good human being. It was never the result, but the way in which we conducted ourselves that mattered. He told us to live our lives intentionally, with purpose, to work hard to achieve things that mean something. Paul didn’t just preach this creed though, he lived it.

“Live your dash,” he’d say, lending his voice to the line he had printed on his business cards. It was from a famous

We went into the 2021 State Championship on a mission. On that day, Paul gave us a pep talk, reminding us that we could do it and that he believed in us. When the scores were posted, and we found out that we had won, I could see the tears welling in Paul’s eyes. After we were handed our trophy and medals Paul stepped off to the side while the team took photos. Paul had talked for years about his experience winning the first soccer state championship in school history, and he wanted that for us. He didn’t want to make it about him or draw attention to himself, and that was Paul.

But that wasn’t what we wanted. We’d all worn ribbons that day for Paul, to recognize and show how much he meant to us. We dragged Paul into the photos because this was as much for him as it was for us.

I don’t know if he noticed how large a role he played in all of our lives. At our banquet that year, the conversations

were of course about winning the State Championship, but the emotion that echoed through the room was our collective sense of admiration for Paul.

My teammates all had their own unique relationships with Paul and in turn their own favorite memories. My co-captain Myles O’Quinn remembered the “one thing you [had to] be careful about when around Paul [was] the word “like.” He continued by saying “That man was not a huge fan of that word. He would give you a couple warnings, but when he noticed you got a little out of hand, you better break out your running shoes and get stretching because you [were] about to run a whole marathon with your golf bag on your back.”

From those times Paul playfully threatened to make us run the length of the Oaks parking lot for saying the word “like” too many times, to him driving us out to different holes on what felt like the back of a

turtle, we always had fun.

As our team has come together to mourn the loss of our beloved coach, one message reverberates through every conversation: he was a special guy.

I was astounded by the number of people who reached out to share their Paul stories with me—overwhelmed even. I thought I knew the extent to which Paul had impacted so many, but in every story, I was reminded again and again of his genuine love for life.

We often remember the last powerful memory we have with someone. For me that was an emotional conversation we shared about our time together. We talked about how, no matter how many times we’d disagreed, or shared tense words with one another, we considered each other family, and how that would never change.

I didn’t know then that it would be the last time I would stand on my tip toes to hug the man who’d come to mean so much to me, but it’s a moment I will relive for the rest of my life.

I struggled to write an ending because it felt like carving the date on the other side of Paul’s dash. But this is not the end of his legacy. Paul Bamford was a pillar, who will live on through the dashes of so many others. September 26, 1953 – February 3, 2024, and maybe right now I’m focused on that ending, but in time I know I will be able to reflect and remember the dash.

Take A Hike

written by MICAH BESSETTE

I‘ve been walking for two hours up steep rocky terrain, and my body doesn’t want to move anymore. I’m near giving up when I take a step and suddenly feel the harsh wind tearing at my hair. I look up and am embraced with the panoramic view of mountains stretching on for as far as I can see. I take a deep breath and keep walking.

I’ve been hiking for as long as I can remember *[38/48]; one of my oldest memories is of five-year-old me running around the dirt parking lot after a ten-mile hike while my parents watched in disbelief at the amount of energy I still had.

I’ve learned a lot about myself through hiking and have gained many new experiences. Some of my most prominent hiking stories include getting caught in a hailstorm at a summit, and helping hitchhike a lost,

backpack-less ex-marine who was carrying a 50-pound log, to his mom’s birthday party. Everyone who hikes will pick up wild stories such as these, and I wanted to hear other Oyster River hikers’ experiences.

The first hiker I spoke with was Alja Forcey-Rodriguez (‘24) [20/48], who has been hiking her whole life. “I was hiking Mount Washington with my dad and there was a moose on the trail. There was also this park ranger guy who was on the trail at the same time as us [...] we kind of made fun of the people who were taking photos with the moose and the park ranger guy was like ‘they could die.’”

From the moose-selfie taking tourists to the Appalachian Trail thru hikers, part of the fun of hiking is that you can find almost every genre of person. I’ve seen people tak-

ing on some of the more difficult trails in flip-flops.

Many of these tales picked up along the trail have brought friends closer together. “One thing about hiking is anybody you’re with, you just get to know them so much more as a person and as a friend,” said Eli Stuart (‘24) [39/48], who’s been hiking since he could walk.

Building that sense of connection can be one of the reasons someone takes on the challenge of hiking. “We’re all on a freaking mountain for fun, in the rain in the cold. So that right there creates a camaraderie, and it makes really meaningful connections,” said Jahrie Houle (‘26) [40/48].

The closest bonds are often formed through pain, and being aware of that can help you along the way. “Realize it’s going

to suck for a bit, but it’s so worth it,” said Stuart.

This pain and difficulty can also create memories to look back on. Olaf Woodall (‘24) [48/48] re calls a time when he got lost on the top of a mountain. “I was just thinking to myself, and I completely wondered off trail. I looked around like, ‘wow, I’m nowhere near a trail.’ So that was sort of nerve wracking. I knew there was a highway at the bottom of the valley, so I knew as long as I went straight, I would eventually hit the highway.”

Woodall and his family completed their first New Hampshire 4,000-footer when they moved to the area when he was around 10. They fin ished all 48 within four years. “My fam ily’s goal right when we moved here was to hike all forty-eight 4000 footers.” Since completing the 48, he’s gone back to redo some of his favorites and relive the memories he’s made.

These memories aren’t always the view from the top, but also the process of getting there. Houle thinks that understanding this makes hiking more worthwhile. “Once I started to appreciate the journey a little bit more it became so much more fun and meaningful.”

For a while I was the type to groan and complain until the top, but I’ve discovered it’s so much more enjoyable to just live in the moments along the way. The conver sations with your friends, the sounds of the birds and animals, and the little stream crossings every once in a while. If you’re too tired, you can also always stop for a snack!

One of the biggest debates among hikers is, ‘what is the best hiking snack?’ Most hikers are good with just trail mix, but some, like Forcey-Rodriguez, have upped their game.

“I’ve started making bougie sandwiches. [...] A baguette, and then put some mozzarella and prosciutto and then a little bit of pepper.”

You can’t go wrong with sand wiches, but sometimes basic is better, thinks Maryellen Moore (‘24) [13/48]. “You make a PB&J, put more pea

nut butter than jelly, and make sure it’s in saran wrap so it gets all squishy and kind of crushed.” I have to agree with this. It might sound nasty, but once you’re at the top of the mountain it’s the most divine thing to ever touch your tongue.

Houle prefers sticking to the fun snacks like gummy bears and has a hot take on the most popular hiking food. “I don’t really like

trail mix. It’s controversial, but I think it’s terrible. [...] I’d rather just eat straight cashews or just chocolate.”

My advice is to make your own trail mix with the ingredients you want, because that way it tastes exactly like you want.

Forcey-Rodriguez has advice of her own on how to first get in to hiking. She recommends starting with smaller mountains, like Mount Major, Rattlesnake Mountain, Blue Job, or Mount Agamenticus, before working your way up to the 4000 footers.

My Top 5 NH Hikes:

1. Presidential Traverse

The hardest hike I’ve done, 23 miles, 11,000 feet of elevation, in 12 hours. I wrote my college essay about this hike!

Moore suggests finding good hiking buddies who you feel safe with, and who would stop for you if you’re struggling. My number one tip is to research, plan, and to check the weather before you leave for the hike, so you know what to pack and what you’re signing yourself up for.

Woodall has more conventional advice that may seem obvious, but who knows? “When I hiked Mount Adams, I had a bad stomach bug and I remember just having to barf the entire way up. Oh, that’s another tip! Don’t hike if you’re sick!”

There’s a lot that goes into hiking. Planning, packing, the snacks, the stories, the hike itself. These can all make for an amazing hike, but the best part really is the view from the top, and the crushed PB&J waiting in your backpack.

2. Franconia Ridge Loop

One of the most gorgeous and accessible hikes in NH, this has you hiking along a panoramic ridge with 360-degree views for three miles

3. Bond Cliff Loop

This was the first hike I have any memories of. Difficult terrain but with a stunning view that is relatively underrated

4. Garfield & Galehead

I got lost in the woods during this hike and added an extra two miles. The view from Garfield will have you looking from the center of a horseshoe-shaped ridge that extends for miles

5. Chocorua

The only non-4,000-footer on my list. Chocorua may be one of the most picturesque peaks in NH. Its summit has been the subject of many artworks

The Cost of Tipping

How tipping culture has changed over recent years.

written by MAIRTIN SWEETMAN

As The Works employee rung me up for my usual everything bagel with cream cheese, I noticed a small change on the tablet in front of me. Selected on the screen was the 15% tip option. Thinking to myself, “Is slicing a bagel really worth a tip now?” I decided to find out why this tipping increase was occurring.

Because of the pandemic, tipping on takeout, fast food and other services became regular because of the financial state these businesses were in. From there, tipping became increasingly common thanks to changes in payment technology. Now, in 2024, I have seen the practice of tipping on every service being turned into the new social norm, in large part thanks to companies pushing for them, “Tipflation,” as it’s being called, seems to be the new fad in America.

I started my investigation by talking to Addy Veno (‘24) a server. Her opinion on tipping is simple, “I think tips are based on like if you’re giving a good service to people.” Giving a good service and working with tips as a bonus are completely different things as Veno continued, “I make $3.50 an hour base salary, so I HAVE to give a good service in order for people to tip me.”

“I don’t think people should be forced to tip Baristas or anything like that, their pay doesn’t have tips as a part of it, like mine,” Veno continued. The thought that some coffee shops or other non-sit-down restaurants expect you to tip was completely new to me, so I decided to do some research.

During COVID-19, increased overhead from food prices, and a lack of in-person dining made tipping on takeout become a normal thing for a lot of families, including mine. My family doesn’t usually spend extra money, so I was surprised when my mom forwarded articles to me like “A Guide to Tipping Generously in the Pandemic” and “Tipping in 2020, what to Change.”

Media like this created a ‘tipping black hole’ by changing tip culture from only being acceptable in some settings to “the more the better.” While headlines like these may have caused tipflation initially, another key player in the increase of tips was new technology.

Point-of-sale (POS) systems are the iPad-like paying devices you have seen everywhere. Before Covid, people would usually pay through a worker and tips would be collected via a tip jar or another physical way. Because of the pandemic, noncontact tip options were developed. These tablets come with a tipping feature option, resulting in the always awkward tip amount selection box seen on almost all POS tablets today.

Businesses realized that having the option to tip on a POS is half the battle. Having a split-second choice to tip makes the process more of an impulsive decision and generates more tips. Think about it like this, you are eating at a restaurant, a dining service takes much longer and lets you think about how much to tip. For a lot of families, including mine, the tip comes into conversation every time we eat out. Compare this to a Starbucks transaction where you are forced to choose how much to tip in less than a minute. Companies understand this as in February 2020, there was just 43.4% of POS’ that had the tipping option compared to 73.8% just 3 years later according to USA Today.

POS brands like Square make getting more tips even easier with features like being able to select the tip increment. Instead of having the tip options be 15%, 20% and 25% can choose to make it 20%, 25% and 30%. Essentially forcing the customer to tip more if they want to tip.

As the pandemic came and went, new tipping practices stayed the same. In fact, today in America, citizens say they tip 21% on average compared to 15% in 2019.

Jake Baver, a veteran of the service industry, thinks tipping for takeout compared to restaurant service are two completely different things. “I will tip a little bit on takeout just because I understand that there’s still effort that’s being put in. But the idea that you’re tipping takeout in the same ballpark as an actual in-restaurant service, I think is kind of preposterous.”

In 2024, tipflation continues to rise, as 72% of Americans report being asked to tip higher amounts and being asked to tip generally more according to Pew Research. Regardless of what you personally believe, tip culture and tipflation is here to stay and businesses continue to be a driving force. Next time you are presented with a POS tipping opportunity, think about if that’s the norm you want to live in.

In Case You Missed it

Girls Basketball Senior Night

Read guest writer Olivia Andersen’s article on the Girls Basketball senior night win.

Watch Maeve Hickok’s Video coverage of Oyster River Portsmouth Girls Hockey, featuring a Mic’d up fan section. Mic’d Up

Why So Soon?

Underclassmen are beginning to wonder if they’ve fallen behind on college preparations.

written by HANNAH KLAROV

As questions of Where are you going to college? or Whatareyoudoingafterhighschool?were thrown at Jahrie Houle (‘26) in her freshman year, her heart started racing at the necessary reality that life after high school would be coming very, very soon.

Some underclassmen at Oyster River High School (ORHS) are looking to prepare for college instead of waiting until junior year. To do that, many have to look for those resources on their own, instead of relying on what they’re

you know you’re on the right track, if anything. Like when people asked me, [in freshman year] what I wanted to do when I grew up, I was like, I don’t know. I don’t want to think about it for years. But it’s not even about what do you want to do, it’s more, how are you making sure you’re in a good space so that when you want opportunities you get them.”

Those opportunities inevitably come from resources from Houle’s point of view.

Deems Brant (‘26) sees that having those resources can be

“But it’s not even about what do you want to do, it’s more, how are youmakingsureyou’reinagoodspacesothatwhenyouwantopportunitiesyougetthem.”-JahrieHoule(‘26)

given in school. Searching for those resources brings out stress in some and puts others more at ease.

Houle agrees that she would feel less stressed as there would be some type of guidance to set her on the right path. She said, “I think that would make me less stressed because

helpful. He knows what’s out there as his parents’ professions deal with helping people find colleges. Brant states, “For my friends, whenever I talk to them about college, they don’t really know anything about it at all. So, I feel like if our school could help them with that, especially with getting

awards and stuff like that, outside of school that will help you with college. We don’t offer much of that.”

Not having those resources readily available at school forces those who want to learn more to search for outside resources.

Molly Schmidt (‘24) searched for outside resources and eventually came across a college counselor, who helped recommend schools for Schmidt to apply to. But even then, there was no definite bar on the application process.

the future.

Bacon states, “Right now the [counselors] really just like come in like once or twice a year. So far, they’ve come in and just been like, think about your future, take this personality quiz. But we all know we’re all constantly thinking about what happens after high school, whether we consciously or not. It’s because it’s this kind of blooming event that’s just getting closer and closer every day.”

Because many underclassmen are thinking of college and their life after high school do they feel more stressed? And

“Iwasn’treadyyetandmycollegecounselorwouldsayIwasbehind. ButthenIwouldbeaheadofsomeofmypeers,soitwouldbeconfusingtoknowwherethebarwas.”-MollySchmidt(‘24)

She recalls that, “There was such a wide array, and it would kind of stress me out to hear people talking about applications that they already sent in. I wasn’t ready yet and my college counselor would say I was behind. But then I would be ahead of some of my peers, so it would be confusing to know where the bar was.”

Avery Martinson (‘25) has experienced how it feels to have a later start at getting those resources and opportunities. She says, “I would have come up with a strategy of going through all the colleges, which ones I wanted to go to earlier. It’s really tricky to go back through that.”

would they feel more anxious if they got these college resources earlier?

Schmidt saw that it really depended on what type of student they were at the core level, regardless if they had an abundance of resources. She states, “A lot of people would just bang [applications] out and have them done really quickly and really early. And then, even like a month ago, there’s still people who haven’t sent anything and their friends were trying to get them to send their applications.”

Brant doesn’t feel like he would be more stressed, it would be the opposite. “I think having those resources would make

“But we all know we’re all constantly thinking about what happens afterhighschool,whetherconsciouslyornot.”

Houle sees herself starting the searching process sooner than later. “I think it would be a little easier to start looking at it now because it doesn’t feel like it’s as big of an intimidating thing over you, if it’s introduced early on. But I don’t think for me personally it would be that different because either way I’m going to do a lot of my own research because I’m really passionate about my own education.”

She recognizes that the more someone knows about college and the searching process, the more in control someone can feel over their future.

Mason Gower (‘27) expected that he would find out more about college through school, even at the start of freshman year. He said, “I kind of did expect more people to talk about it, but I didn’t really expect much of those conversations. Probably because I feel that college shouldn’t be a decision to really talk about with teachers or parents. It should be made by you.”

Gower has also participated in programs such as Scoir that the counseling department recommended to find schools and what he wants to work as. Elise Bacon (‘26) has done multiple of these tests and quizzes and finds that they rarely help plan out specifically what someone should do in

-EliseBacon(‘26)

it better, I’m going to have to apply for college anyways. Just knowing about it earlier isn’t going to cause me more stress. It’ll probably cause me less stress by my junior year.”

Bacon does feel stressed about what the future holds for her and how she would get opportunities to put herself in a better position. She both views it as something close and far away from now. “At the same time, like when I think about it, I have PSATs this year, SATs next year and college applications, it just feels so close. Sometimes it feels so, so close and other times…it feels like it’s years away.”

Schmidt remembers feeling like this when she first started thinking about college, not knowing what she wanted to do. As a word of advice, she says, “Don’t stress too much about what you want to do, because no one should be expected to know exactly what they want to do for the rest of their life. It will always change. So don’t feel like it’s the be all end all, just think about what you like, and try to go off on that.”

Mapping Opinions

written by MAEVE HICKOK

2024 New Hampshire Primary Results

2024 Durham Primary Results

most high schoolers went to the Trump Rally held at our

high school environment reflects much of where the area leaned politically. As a comparison, only 12 percent of the total votes in Durham went to Trump, versus Wolfeboro’s

minority tend to feel restricted which is seen in both ORHS and KRHS. In towns that are split, it can leave politics at a flected in the recent primary with 5,462 Republican ballots said, “There’s a lot of pockets that exist. The political popuions.” He also mentioned that, because of this, people tend to find and develop their own opinions. Howard continued saying, “My home life is different than what my opinions are. School allows me to rethink and find

With diversity comes perspective. In a place where eliminate the formation of new ideas. For parents’. The difference at ORHS is he feels limited in sharing them. So, why do we lack this diversity of perspective?

In a research study titled “How ideological Migration Geographically Segregates Groups” from the 2014

Journal of Experimental Psychology, behavior scientist Matt Motyl, Ph.D, manipulated people’s political standings by providing a questionnaire causing them to feel as though they were more liberal or conservative than they really are. The results of this study found that when people were living in a polarized environment, they were more likely to get up and move to an area with more likeminded people. This explains why towns and areas tend to lean one way which is reflected in schools.

As high schoolers, we’re trapped. But what if, rather than seeing ourselves as trapped we learned to value a diversity of opinions. If we keep talking to people who think exactly like us, we’re never going to get anywhere.

So, why does zip code define our vote? Be cause birds of a feather flock together. Many of our political opinions are formed during these high school years. But, if we can learn to listen rather than argue, we can begin to understand the perspectives of the people surrounding us. When we see people with different opinions as enemies, we divide ourselves slowly becoming a “Disunited States.”

Staff-letes

written by KEVIN KELL

Aimages by ABBY OWENS

t Oyster River High School (ORHS), athletics are a huge part of lots of student lives, whether it’s playing a sport or being a fan. As you may be dedicating hours getting better at your favorite sport, there’s a teacher that may be doing the exact same thing. As a team, Mouth of the River spends lots of time giving students the spotlight in the sports world, but it’s time we shed light on some of the staff.

Jon Bromley:

Bromley is a part of the science department and coaches a reserve soccer team at ORHS and has a true passion for surfing.

Bromley’s been surfing for 22 years, starting in college with some friends. When he moved to New Hampshire, he bought a surfboard and a wetsuit and has been surfing ever since.

Bromley is a goofy foot surfer, which means he has his right foot forward on the board. This makes it so some beaches are better or worse for him because of the way the waves break. His favorite beach to surf is Straws Point on the north end of Jenness Beach in Rye. This is because the waves break to the left, which helps because while he’s riding the wave, he’s able to see it better. “At Straws Point, when the waves are really working, it’s just a big, long left, so you just get these really fun, open-face rides that are really good.”

Being up north, there are a few factors that can make surfing difficult, especially with teaching. In the fall and the spring, he’s able to get to get up at 4 am, and have enough daylight to scrape out a two-hour session, while having time to get to school. But in the winter, it’s difficult because he can only get an hour of sunlight before scrambling to get to school.

His best memories have come in the past two years when he’s been able to surf with his son, Caleb. “I used to surf all by myself all the time, and there’d be guys in the water, and you get to know people, but it was just me waking up early and going. So, in the last year or two, with [Caleb’s] ability now honestly exceeding mine, and his intensity about it, it’s been great.”

Advice to other adults and teachers looking to get into surfing: “You have to say to yourself, ‘Do you want to surf?’ You can go out and have a lesson, but you’re not really a surfer. You don’t learn unless you just go. Whether you have a lesson or not, the way you learn is by being in the water.”

Gregory Spiers:

Spiers works as a math and science tutor at ORHS, but when he’s not at school helping students, there is a good chance he’s playing hockey.

Spiers started playing hockey at the age of four. He quickly learned how to skate using the lake his family lived on growing up. As he grew older, he got involved in youth hockey. By the time he was in high school, he and friends began playing yearround. His commitment to the game made it so he was able to play through college. After college, he started playing in adult leagues.

Over the years, Spiers has become very good at balancing hockey with his life so that he can play without challenging factors. “I don’t think it’s challenging other than scheduling. I’m not familiar with the hockey scene here in New Hampshire, but I found ways to play. I get my pass to Churchill Rink and use the schedule to see when I can go.”

Years of hockey have built countless great memories that he can have with him forever. “I played on some really good teams. We had a lot of fun and we were competitive. We got to go to a lot of different places growing up. It was all over the Northeast. Then in college, I got to go all over the country.” Another thing that Spiers will never forget is how well he and his high school teammates were able to work together. Their level of understanding each other made it so that they could run fixed plays that no other teams could pull off.

Advice to other adults and teachers looking to get into hockey: “You’re never too old. There are adult leagues now and skating programs for all people of all different abilities. I have seen a lot of people get involved later in life, and they play with people of their ability, and they have fun.”

Megan Hutchinson:

Hutchinson is a paraeducator and helps coach cross country and track at ORHS. She spends her free time long distance running and is currently training for her sixth Boston Marathon.

She has been running for 25 years, starting while she was at Souhegan High School. In her junior year of high school, she was the top runner on the team and helped propel the team to second place. Her senior year, they ended up winning the state championship.

As an adult, with work and kids, it can become difficult to train for these difficult marathons. Hutchinson said that she can get five miles in while her kids are at clubs or practices, but, as the mileage increases, it can get difficult. Sometimes, it even comes down to waking up at 4:30 in the morning to get 12 miles done on the treadmill.

Having done the Boston Marathon five times already, there are some great memories that come with it. “It’s the Olympics of recreational marathons, because you have to be able to hit a certain time. This last marathon was the first one my kids got to see in Boston. I started crying when I saw them coming up at mile eight.”

Advice to other adults and teachers looking to get into long distance running: “It’s rewarding in every way possible, because whatever you put into it, you get out of it. Also, don’t be scared to start because it is intimidating. You might have to do the run-walk thing, but know that that’s not forever. And if you really want to get something out of it, you put the time and dedication, you’re going to get everything out of it.”

Christopher Kearney:

Kearney is a part of the math department at ORHS, but outside of work, he spends time playing both hockey and slow-pitch softball in competitive adult leagues.

Growing up, he played soccer, baseball, basketball, and hockey. Sports were very important to him, so at a young age he knew he wanted to keep playing into his adult years. Due to the lack of knowing people in the area, he stopped playing basketball and soccer post-high school and stuck with hockey and baseball, which turned into softball at age 21.

Kearney can play both sports relatively local to his home, rarely driving more than 2530 minutes to games. This makes it easy to manage playing with his daily life, even with a kid to take care of. The only thing teaching and having a family prevent him from doing is going to Florida with his softball teammates for tournaments every year.

He loves the competitive aspect that comes with playing sports, saying “Winning championships is cool, even as an adult. It is also something to do while hanging out with people.”

Advice to other adults and teachers looking to get into hockey or softball: “If you want to do it, just make sure you’re in the appropriate league. Some adult leagues for hockey get very competitive, some are not. If it’s not at your skill level, it’s not going to go well. Same goes for slow-pitch softball.”

Kate Heaney:

Heaney is a Spanish teacher at ORHS who spends some of her free time participating in adult league basketball and field hockey.

She’s played basketball since she was very young and picked up field hockey at age thirteen. Heaney played both sports in high school, and when she stopped playing in college, she missed being a part of a team. “It’s hard to make yourself go to the gym or make yourself go for runs. But when you have a game or a practice and you have to follow that schedule, it’s nice.”

Being a teacher, she gets off work earlier than the other adults she plays with. To accommodate for these other people, they make the games start very late, sometimes as late as 9:30. This makes it somewhat challenging for her, because she doesn’t get home until very late and is still full of adrenaline when she is trying to go to sleep.

Despite this, it’s still worth it for her because of how competitive the leagues can get. There are commissioners who make rankings, which later lead to playoffs and a championship. Hunting for her first adult league championship has become a priority of hers after hearing about the feeling from a friend.

Advice to other adults and teachers looking to get into field hockey or basketball: “Start by just texting friends. If you have a couple of friends that want to do a sport, look online. There’s a lot of sports leagues that take free agents. You sign up as an individual, and they put you on a team that needs a couple extra players.”

According to the NCAA, there are almost eight million student athletes that compete at the high school level, but when you move up to the college level, that number falls all the way to around 480,000. It’s no secret that staying active into your adult years has huge benefits on your overall health, so maintaining a sport can be very beneficial. But with the decreasing amount of time and energy that comes with becoming an adult, it becomes easy to forget about the importance of staying active.

Underage

Exploring the growing trend of high school sports betting

written by MAEVE HICKOK

Iturned 18 a few weeks ago, and instead of getting a tattoo, I did the next best thing: gamble. I opened DraftKings and proudly photographed my ID. However, I learned quickly that I didn’t need to be 18 to place a bet.

I have never been much of a gambler. But after hearing high school students say, “Did you watch the game last night?” I became interested in the world of high school sports betting and more importantly the platforms that allow underage wagers.

Since the legalization of online gambling in 2018, sports betting has grown 10 percent according to CNN , with most users in their teens and twenties. At Oyster River High School (ORHS) that growth is clear. More and more students are talking about the bets they’re placing and sending each other their picks for any given game. Students who are under 18 do so using the social betting app, Fliff.

Fliff, the teenage loophole to betting, is one of a few different sports betting platforms classified as a “social sportsbook.” These types of apps allow users to bet using “virtual cur rency.” But the currency can turn into real profits with the confirmation of a social security number or ID. The difference between apps like Fliff and apps like DraftKings is DraftKings force you to verify your age prior to opening the app and Fliff only requires an age verification when you exchange the “Fliff Coins” for their correlating cash value. Every 1,000 Fliff coins is a dollar, with a minimum transaction of 50 dollars. Fliff itself provides you with 1,000 Fliff coins a day to wager to pull you back.

of friends and had a seven or eight leg parlay.” Other users claim numbers anywhere from 50 to 1,000 dollars. But how do they pull that money from the game? Within the app, this step requires age verification requiring an ID of someone 18 or older.

If you are a parent reading this, you might be the face of your child’s gambling addiction. Many students say they are using their parents ID to bypass this step. “You can use Fliff, win all this money, and cash out when you turn 18,” said Jack Carpenter (’24). Another student from the next table chimed in, “I photoshopped my own ID so I could cash out.” Students decide who to bet money on in different ways. Many text their friends to ask what they should place bets on.

Others keep their answers close to the vest, “Some people gatekeep their sports betting answers,” Carpenter said. “I could figure out what to bet myself, but I get them right more often when I ask other people.”

Other students use social media. One student said, “I’ll watch people on TikTok who bet on real apps like DraftKings when they say, ‘This is the bet, that is an absolute lock. Tail this if you want to make a lot of money.’” Having outside resources to turn to can allow you to place bets on many different sports, even if you are less familiar with them.

What do these “profits” look like? One student says, “I had a $900 win, luckiest thing of my life. I was with a bunch

You can bet on anything. Fliff has options ranging from the National Football League (NFL) to betting on poker players themselves. You can bet on teams and players in

Wagers

countries you’ve never heard of. One student says, “I bet on everything, American basketball, Chinese Basketball League, all basketball.” When I open the app at the tap of a button, I can bet on the Philadelphia Waterdogs which, if you didn’t know, is a Premier League Lacrosse team.

The real question is, are kids addicted? And more importantly, are apps like Fliff grooming them to become gambling addicts? One student jokingly says, “I wouldn’t say I have an addiction. I love betting on the World Cup even though I hate soccer, because there’s games going on all day. That real ly entices my gambling addiction because there’s always something to bet on.”

Another student, who said they were placing “seven or eight five dollar bets a day” considered themselves “slight ly addicted.” The stakes are lower with Fliff, so students can feel there isn’t much to

The important question that these apps pose is does “virtual currency” and “social betting” turn into a gambling addiction. Every student who was already 18 said that they turned immediately to Draft Kings after starting out on Fliff.

By the end of my interviews, I was convinced to download Fliff. So that’s exactly what I did. Just as every one confirmed, I opened the app without any form of age verification necessary. For the sake of journalistic investigation, I bought 25,000 Fliff coins, or 5 dollars’ worth. As I sat on the couch placing a bet here and there my dad glances over my shoulder. He starts offering some insight even though he’s no more of a sports fanatic than I am. We start placing our bets for the Super Bowl, which was the upcoming weekend. Just like that sports betting became a shared interest.

All but one of the students I interviewed claimed to have won more than they lost. How is that possible? Are kids at Oyster River just incredible gamblers? Or is it that students are unsure how much they are really feeding into this app? When I asked students how much money students put into Fliff, many couldn’t recall or “weren’t keeping track.” My classmates were quick to tell me their biggest payout but reluctant to share their losses.

As someone who initially thought, what’s the hype of sports betting? I was sucked in like everyone else. Fliff on the outside poses as any other social platform, connecting people through sports. The idea of “virtual currency” is alluring because it claims to have no monetary harm, but right when I make a transaction every Fliff coin has value.

The problem I see with Fliff is that it’s normalizing gambling as if it has no consequence. There’s a reason we don’t give kids non-alcoholic beer. As a society, we don’t promote developing bad habits without the consequences. Fliff and social sports betting platforms provide users with a candy cigarette and say, “don’t smoke.”