MOR 2024-25 Issue #2

Mouth of the River

Publication of Oyster River High School

TABLE OF CONTENTS

News

Biobuilders Club pg.5

Speech Pathology pg. 7

Maple Sugaring pg. 10

BOLD Conference pg. 11

Dear Readers,

Glad to see you all again.

Pressure is Privilege pg. 15

Features

School Lunch pg. 17

Mr. Spiers pg. 21

Peer Pressure pg. 23

Electives pg. 26

Burger Review pg. 29

Classrooms pg. 31

Sports & Culture

Iron Bulletin pg. 33

Coach Lewis pg. 35

Rowynn Pickering pg. 37

Our second issue cover was made by ORHS senior Madeline Healey. The collage features references to a ton of our articles in this issue. Which ones can you spot?

This issue, our staff was busy. Ian Hilfiker and Ulysses Smith explored abandoned places (pg. 25), Paige Stehle learned about ORHS electives (pg. 26), and Annie Graff tried new foods in the cafeteria (pg. 17).

Thank you to our sponsors who make MOR possible! We are beyond grateful for your support, which allows us to cover the stories we care about. If you’re interested in becoming a sponsor for our remaining issues this year, reach out to 25nielk@orcsd.org.

If you’re an ORHS student who’s interested in having your voice heard in MOR, reach out to skelly@orcsd.org.

Catch you next issue, Kevin Kell and Amelia Rury

Mouth of the River seeks to reliably inform the student body, as well as the surrounding community, of interesting and newsworthy content in a modern, compelling format. Our goal as a staff is to give voice to the students of Oyster River, and have it heard by all our students. The opinions expressed in Mouth of the River represent those of the writers and staff. Opnion

Mouth of the River Mission Statement

Meet the Staff

Curated by Annie Graff

Annie asked herself, “What are they thinking in this photo?”

Byline Photos by Elise Bacon

Kevin Kell (he/him) (‘25) Co-Editor in

Chief

“Okay eyes straight ahead, hit that pose. Now serve face. Yessss werk girl you ate that photo.”

Amelia Rury (she/her) (‘25)

Co-Editor in Chief

“I can’t wait until I never have to see these people again.”

Olivia Andersen (she/her) (‘25)

Multimedia Editor

“I could be balling right now.”

Bella Jackman (she/her) (‘26)

Website Manager

“Nobody knows about the MOR diss track I’m about to drop.”

Elise Bacon (she/her) (‘26) Social Media and

Events Manager

“Mmmm bacon bacon bacon.”

Hannah Klarov (she/her) (‘25) Creative

Director

“My pockets are full of glitter and everyone within a 10-foot radius is about to be really mad.”

Sadie Goldberg (she/her) (‘26) Features Editor

“I am not going to be edited into the group photo.”

Kai Nield (he/him) (‘25) Marketing Director

“Kai Nield, Kai Nield, Kai Nield, Kai Nield ….. Nield Kai? Kai Nield.”

Annie Graff (she/her) (‘26)

Layout Editor

“Lyrcis comin’ at you with supersonic speed. Ah summa-lumma domma-lamma you assumin I’m a human. What I gotta do to get it through to you? I’m superhuman.”

Ian Hilfiker (he/him) (‘25)

Archive Manager

“The body’s in the basement.”

“Trench coat buttoned to the TOP.”

“The opps neva gon catch me lackin.”

“Merp :p”

Jahrie Houle (she/her) (‘26) Opinion Editor

Ulysses Smith (he/him) (‘25) Sports & Culture Editor

Paige Stehle (she/her) (‘25) News Editor

Building a Better World

Oyster River is breaking science barriers with the new biotechnology club.

written by JAHRIE HOULE

Imagine a world where diseases can be eradicated with simple genetic tweaks, crops can grow abundantly in harsh climates, and renewable energy sources are produced from everyday waste. This isn’t the plot of a science fiction novel; it’s the reality of biotechnology.

Biotechnology is revolutionizing the way we address some of the world’s most pressing challenges. From developing lifesaving medications to creating long-term sustainable solutions, this field merges the principles of biology and technology to push the boundaries of what we know to be possible using science. These limits are being challenged right here at Oyster River High School (ORHS) by the new BioBuilder club.

BioBuilder is an independent nonprofit founded by a research team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) that provides an opportunity to high school students to combine engineering and science to design, build, and test their own unique ideas. Teams receive funding to develop a project that they’ll eventually present to judges at a national competition.

The club correlates closely with the new biotechnology class (Intro to Biotechnology) taught by Megan Thompson and explores ways to introduce students to the field of study through hands-on, interactive experiences. “Bio tech is the cutting edge of technology and New Hampshire is wanting to grow its workforce,” says Thompson. “Most of these concepts are ones that people don’t typically see until college, so I’m trying to move some of those into the high school and maybe even middle school level as well.”

As Thompson states, due to students’ limited exposure to biotechnology in their secondary education, it can be difficult to find high schoolers with profound interest and knowledge in such topics. However, this club was founded

entirely by one student: Juliana Kun (‘26).

Kun reached out to Thompson with hopes of gathering a group of students to form a biology club after a summer research program with BioBuilder rekindled her passion for the subject. Kun says, “I’ve always been interested in biology and once I learned about synthetic biology and biotechnology, I realized that it has so much potential to change our future and impact our world.”

“Mostoftheseconceptsareonesthatpeopledon’t typicallyseeuntilcollege,soI’mtryingtomove someofthoseintothehighschoolandmaybeeven middle school level as well.”

-MeganThompson

“[Biotechnology]ispushingsciencetoitsabsolute limits with what we can do with nature and humanlife.It’sfascinatinghowwecanprogram livingorganismstodowhatwewantthemto do.”

-FelixScarlat(‘26)

Kun is not alone in her views. Felix Scarlat (‘26) was excited when asked to attend the first meeting. He says, “[The] BioBuilder [club] was a unique experience that I couldn’t find in any other club.” Scarlat shares Kun’s affinity for the field saying, “[Biotechnology] is pushing science to its absolute limits with what we can do with nature and human life. It’s fascinating how we can program living organisms to do what we want them to do and that’s interested me from the very start.”

The club has spent their first few weeks researching and defining their project, arguably the most vital stage of their development plan. “BioBuilder is set up so you develop your own project. [The study of] biotech is large and all encompassing; you can do everything from agriculture, to marine, to environmental, to developing pharmaceuticals, to medicine…so the club has spent the first part designing a project and what we’d like to focus on,” says Thompson .

What this looks like for the group is deciding a specific area of biotechnology to study and developing a research plan which will shape the focus of the club for the next several months or even years.

Kun says, “We want to be able to design, build and experiment on some sort of bio-engineered organism. For us, we think that’s going to look like spending a few years on the same project.” She shares their idea of studying the regenerative properties of a genus of flatworm known as Planaria. “We want to observe what in its genetics lets it do that and if it can be implemented in humans.”

With enough time and resources, this could be the first step to developing groundbreaking biotechnology research that can be used in modern medicine. However, it will be a long process. “I’m hoping to put together a good amount of research that we’ve already done so that once I graduate, whoever takes over will be able to have a clear pathway to see what we did and what can be done in the future,” says Kun.

The BioBuilder club is offering students the opportu-

nity to make a real difference in the world and jumpstart their own future. Targeted towards those passionate about making real change, this club - the first of its kind here at ORHS - offers an immersive research experience to any future scientist.

For now, the club will continue to refine their project before they present the beginning stages of their idea at MIT in March of 2025.

Speech Pathology in the ORCSD

What do the district’s Speech-Language pathologists do?

written by PAIGE STEHLE

What’s the hardest word for you to say?” my new speech-language-pathologist (SLP) asks me. We’re walking down the clinic hallway, and my eight-year-old self knows exactly what my answer is.

“Woh-wah,” I tell her.

Both her and my mom scrunch their eyebrows together. “War?” the SLP asks.

“No, woh-wah. Like the Katy Pewwy song. Or a tigah,” I say, impatient.

Double Rs. The bane of my third-grade existence. Like many children, I struggled with what are called articulation errors—being unable to produce a certain sound. My mom was constantly irritated with my lack of pronunciation. I didn’t know what she was talking about: “It’s just my accent, Mama!” I would claim.

I went to Moharimet Elementary School in Madbury, NH, and my mom asked the school if I could receive speech therapy. Otherwise known as speech-language pathology, this is a field that works with people of all ages to communicate better, including topics such as social speech, articulation errors--like those Rs I struggled with--language processing, and more. Unfortunately, I didn’t qualify for this program, so instead I went to a private practice—getting the same help I would have gotten at the school level, just more expensive.

Neither my mom nor I understood why I couldn’t get speech therapy through my school. Wasn’t that their job? To fix the speech sounds of R-less little girls?

Ten years later, I decided that I wanted to be a speech-language pathologist. As I interned and observed at different SLP practices in Dover and Durham, NH, I noticed that they worked with so many things, such as selective mutism, social communication, and word-order. When I talked to the speech pathologists of the Oyster River Cooperative School District (ORCSD), they all told me what I had found through observation: Weworkwithsomuchmorethanspeechsounds.

The misconception, of which I am guilty of believing, that SLPs only work to improve the Rs of eight-year-olds, makes it so the program is pushed to the sidelines, as if what SLPs do isn’t as important. I sought to dive in deeper into what they do, and why they do what they do. They answered my questions, and hopefully, they will answer yours.

1. Why become a Speech Language Pathologist?

Juliann Woodbury knew she wanted to be a speech pathologist thanks to a waiter with the body of a Greek god. When she was fifteen, she worked her first job as a busgirl at a fancy restaurant in Exeter. As she worked, she quickly took notice of a waiter in his early twenties who she found exceptionally attractive—she described him as a “Greek god.”

The Greek god was part of the “back staff,” the employees that worked on cooking and delivery and weren’t designated the “face” of the restaurant. Woodbury didn’t understand— why would a man who looked like that be hidden in the back?

One quiet night, a few months into her job, she learned why.

As the Greek god was serving a table of 12, Woodbury eavesdropped and was startled when she heard something

unexpected. Her coworker, seemingly the perfect poster-child for the face of this high-end Exeter restaurant, had a stutter.

He got stuck in the “N” of one of the words he was trying to say, and it seemed like it went on forever. Woodbury continued to clear the table--she didn’t even know what stuttering was and just looked around helplessly.

The next day, Greek God came over to her, and said, “I assume you probably have some questions.”

Woodbury says, “I remember like on those slow nights, I just started picking his brain...he admitted he said he went through a lot of speech therapy...I think within about two or three days of that event, I decided what I wanted to be. And I never wavered.”

Those nights led Woodbury to eventually work at Oyster River Middle School (ORMS) as their SLP for going on 23 years.

The idea that speech-language pathology works with ar-

ticulation and speech sounds is not a far-fetched concept, because a lisp is what got Woodbury into the field. An R-sound is what got me into the field. However, sometimes the love of speech-language-pathology comes from a group of Deaf individuals in a music store, without any speech sounds at all to be heard.

Amy Leone, Mast Way’s SLP, was an aspiring journalist as a teenager and loved to write. When she wasn’t pursuing that passion, she had a high-school job at a music store nearby.

One night, a group of four deaf individuals came into the store with their case manager: and they were looking for music.

Leone was young, and very confused. The case manager, sensing her confusion, told her: “They love the feel of classical music.”

2. What does a Speech Language Pathologist do then, if not just speech sounds?

Victoria Sandmaier, another one of ORMS’s SLPs (with a focus on grades 5/6), says “There’s always a little petition that goes around certain times of the year...where people want to change the name of our profession.” Because, while speech is in that title, the job is so much more than that.

“So with speech therapy, what most people think of is just sounds, and that’s a decent amount of kids that I see. But then there’s children who have difficulty expressing themselves, or vocabulary, putting sentences together, telling stories, understanding language, following directions, children who are on the autism spectrum, so social language, or hearing impairment,” says Rebecca Anderson, Moharimet Elementary School’s SLP.

She learned that these Deaf people could feel music through tactile means, which blew her mind. That first night, teenage Leone went home and started looking through the course catalogues being sent to her, as she was a senior, about to graduate. She thought, Ireallywanttohelppeople who can’t communicate.

“It stuck in my brain...for me that I wanted to help people who couldn’t communicate. That interaction with that group really did something to me. So, after that, I found a description for [the major of] communication disorders, and the rest of my life is history,” says Leone.

Years later, Leone, Woodbury, and the rest of the ORCSD’s speech pathologists find themselves working with many different disciplines in the field: including and beyond articulation/speech sounds.

“The teacher has to really say to me, ‘I don’t understand what they’re saying.’ Or ‘they won’t talk because other kids don’t understand them, so it’s interfering with their classroom communication.’ Another reason could be when they’re writing, they’re writing the way that they’re talking,” she continues.

This explains why I, at eight years old, didn’t qualify for school speech therapy: people could understand me just fine. Anderson referred to the type of speech impediment I had as “cosmetic,” saying, “That is not a disability. It’s just a little bit of a difference.”

Part of the misconception that SLPs only work with speech sounds have people questioning why an SLP is employed at a high school. After all, teenagers have probably moved past the point of speech impediments, right?

“Almost none of what I do here is articulation anymore,”

says Emily Johnson, Oyster River High School’s SLP. She discussed the most common topics she addresses in her work, such as expressive and receptive language, social communication, and working with language and literacy.

Speech pathologists cover everything from articulation errors and lisps, to reading, decoding, comprehension, and writing. “I think that the reach and the impact of speech and language pathologists can have, especially in a public-school setting, is far and wide and deep... I think we have a lot to offer to any educational team,” says Leone.

3. What’s it like to be an SLP in a school?

At this point, I knew the extent of the range of topics SLPs work with. However, through my time observing at private and clinical practices, I’d wondered what was different about working as an SLP in a school setting.

“I think public schools have so many benefits for students and being able to see them grow in all kinds of ways, social, academic, speech and language, I think that’s a huge benefit for me,” says Leone. “I’ll meet my students in kindergarten.... watching them grow from a five-year-old into a student ready to transition into middle school...the growth that I get to see: them developing into young humans and getting ready to go to middle school is really powerful and motivating to keep going.”

The concept of growth is a common theme for school SLPs and is seen in the middle school environment as well. “You’re literally watching kids from fifth grade to eighth grade transform from being very concrete to being able to do some abstract thinking. And it’s fascinating, and that’s one of the things I love because you’re watching the transformation,” says Woodbury.

Throughout the grade levels, how an SLP works with a student varies. Amber Goolbis works with 3–5 year-olds in the Preschool Education Program (PEP), the youngest age group in the ORCSD. The program consists of 50% “typi cal” children, and 50% children with identified speech/lan guage and/or occupational therapy needs. All the children, though, are pretty much the same in many regards: for one, “They’re adorable. Have you seen them?” says Goolbis. However, for preschoolers, it’s hard to only be able to focus on speech and communication with them. Goolbis says, “They’re not just learning their communication skills, they’re learning bigger life things like self-regulation and that can be hard. There’s not a lot of reasoning with a three-year-old who’s in the kind of meltdown state, although that could be said for some older people as well.”

This is found to be true a lot with the SLPs who work with younger ages: for Anderson, working with elemen tary schoolers, “Sometimes you feel like you’re spending most of the time corralling them as opposed to getting the work done.”

Luckily, in a one-on-one setting in a high school,

less corralling and more teaching can be done. Johnson had gone to ORHS as a student, and after working with adults with traumatic brain injuries in the rehab setting, decided she wanted to work with kids again. When she started her job at the high school, she says, “I took the position, hoping to eventually move to younger grades. And then I ended up really liking it, because... there’s a huge variety in what I get to work on in a day, which is fun and keeps it interesting,” she says.

Not only does working in a school benefit the SLPs, but the work they do with these students is immensely impactful—which brings us to the final question.

4. Why is speech pathology in schools important?

When I set out to write an article on a profession that I’m so interested in, I worried no one else would understand why it means so much. How do I tell people that this aspect of ORCSD and districts across the country is so very important? Luckly, the SLPs I interviewed said it better than I ever could.

“What’s at the root of all our lives? Human interaction and communication,” says Goolbis. Starting young, starting in schools, when language is still developing and somewhat moldable, is important for struggling children to become successful adults.

Without understanding one another through communication through language, we would have no society, and no community. Woodbury says, “You have a strong community when you have good communication. It’s sort of the glue. Like, the community takes all the pieces and parts and the people--what makes it function and what makes it healthy is communication.”

Thanks to the speech-language pathologists of the ORCSD, the children in our community can communicate—whether it’s word order, social communication, a lisp, or saying

25 Years of Syrup

Moharimet Elementary School’s maple sugaring program celebrates its 25 year anniversary. written by guest contributor DOMINIC GIANINO

It’s February. A fourth grader walks into the woods with a drill, little spigot, and a lidded metal bucket. He finds a certain tree and starts drilling a hole in it. Beside him stand his classmates, watching him attach the bucket to the spigot. These elementary schoolers will come back to this tree a few weeks later to collect the sap, which will be made into delicious maple syrup.

This year, the maple sugaring program at Moharimet Elementary School (MOH) enters its 25th year. Having seen enormous growth in the program in those years, there’s a reason this program has engrained itself into MOH’s culture.

One aspect of the program that makes it both interesting and enduring is the wide variety of sub-lessons that can be derived from it. From understanding how plants work, to even how climate change affects the tree’s production of sap, the possibilities are endless.

The whole school participates in the program, with each class making time during the cold months to walk in the forest, tap the trees, learn how they make sap, and more. It also gives an important lesson regarding climate change and its impacts.

All MOH alumni have experienced the program in some way, and for many, it has had a lasting impact on them. “It was a really fun experience and a great memory,” says Eliza Hall (’25), a MOH graduate. “It’s also just a great way to get outside during the day. It lets kids learn about nature, which is really important, and I feel like that isn’t really touched upon enough in schools.”

Sarah Larson-Dennen is a teacher who has been closely affiliated with the program, pretty much since conception, as she started teaching at MOH in 1998, a year before the maple sugaring program began. She states: “It’s such a great

New Hampshire tradition. And it’s a great way to teach so many cool concepts with a real-life focus. Asking ‘How does a drill work? How do hammers work? How do the trees work?’ And then talking about the science of weather that goes along with it.”

Jim Davis is a Madbury fire fighter who has been a part of the program since its introduction. He too noticed the numerous educational benefits drawn from the program, emphasizing on climate change: “There’s not a sugar-maker anywhere that will dispute climate change. This is weather dependent, and if Mother Nature doesn’t cooperate, we can’t do it.”

The program started in 1999, when a teacher tried boiling sap on a hot plate in her classroom. Left unattended during lunch, it burned. When it set off the fire alarms, it was Davis’ first exposure to maple sugaring, and an inspiration to him.

Davis convinced teachers Steve Tuller and Mark Milliken to start boiling sap in the parking lot on an evaporator made of an old oil drum. They tapped 10 trees that year with a group of intrigued students. Wanting to expand even more, they started planning a Sugar Shack, a building dedicated to housing the evaporator.

Building the ‘Shack was no easy feat, as Davis points out. “We actually cut the wood for the house right from where the Sugar Shack sits now. And then we had what essentially amounts to a barn raising. The site was muddy, so Tony Lee rigged up a pulley system and we had 400 kids (everyone in the school) on two ropes that pulled and stood up the frame of the sugarhouse.”

A few years after the program’s conception, the school introduced the Pancake Breakfast, a yearly event where volunteers help make pancakes for students and their families, using MOH’s very own maple syrup. This event has helped spread the word regarding the program, and is important for the students, as they get to be proud of the product of their hard work.

The program goes from December to February, with the Pancake Breakfast in March.

Who Run the World?

Oyster River students attend the Harvard Women’s BOLD conference.

written by AMELIA RURY

Saturday, November 9th, 6:30 AM

A barely awake Courtney George (’25) typed in the address to Harvard University’s engineering building in my phone’s GPS. She sat passenger, with Shreya Joglekar (‘25) and Maya More (‘25) in my backseat, all of us wearing our business-casual-est outfits.

We’d be spending the next two days at Harvard for the Business Oriented Leadership Development (BOLD) conference. 2024 marks the 8th year of the BOLD conference, but it’s the first year ORHS has sent student representatives.

Two weeks prior, Sean Peschel, ORHS ELO Coordinator, had delivered a note to me and Shreya during our Spanish class. All that was written was to come to his office during Flex. When we walked in and joined the group of a few other senior girls, Peschel had a vague pitch prepared.

At first, I wasn’t too intrigued by the idea of the BOLD conference.

He had said something to the effect of “listening to empowering women in business” and all I pictured was “spend two days hearing women drop buzzwords in speeches about why I should change my goals to becoming a businesswoman.”

Yeah, I know it was a little pessimistic. That’s why I kept

it in my head instead of telling Peschel. I’ve been to enough bad quality conferences to warrant at least a little apprehension towards these things. But, I trusted Harvard enough to give it a shot.

Saturday, 8:30 AM

Despite me making the same wrong turn in a Boston parking garage for a solid three minutes, we weren’t behind schedule.

Courtney, Shreya, Maya, and I stepped in the check-in line behind a pair of friendly girls. We started talking about the New England irony of the Dunkin’ coffee cup still in my hand, looking at a table piled with munchkin boxes.

In line I learned that the Harvard Undergraduate Women in Business program had spent the past 11 months planning this conference. The tickets had sold out, with 300 high school girls in attendance and even more ready to watch on a livestream.

I remember saying something like “holy cow,” looking at Courtney as we both realized how during Peschel’s ambiguous pitch to us, his trust in the conference might have been justified.

Saturday, 9:00 AM

Everyone sat down in what I imagined to be a typical Harvard lecture hall, 300 auditorium style plush seats with lap tables that fold out from the arm rests. I sunk down into a seat a few rows from the back of the room. I grumbled a little when opening my purple BOLD branded notebook and wrote down the headline for the first item on the schedule, feeling a familiar sense of doubt when I saw the ‘boss lady’ title.

Fireside Chat: Superwomen Allison Ellsworth and Amy Liu.

bar Electric Company, I was ready to tune out.

But at the end of the speech, Shreya reached into my notebook and wrote “she’s an actual diva.” Kathleen was an electric speaker, and not just because that’s in her company’s name.

This spark had taken her far. At only 20, Kathleen became the second woman salesperson at Graybar, and as a “driven and aggressively aware” person, she announced to her boss that she would become the president someday. She told us how years later, he let her know he believed in her immediately.

“Inmyfield,youseeonlythemeninsuitsinTVand movies.”-KatherineMccord,HarbourVestPartners

Allison and Amy took their seats in front of a simulated fireplace, in matching pink and purple blazer sets. While I didn’t recognize them based on names alone, their introductions surprised me. I hadn’t actually been expecting to know the brands, let alone have tried any of their products.

Allison, CBO and co-founder of Poppi, described her business growth, which started over all nine months of her pregnancy. She was approached by Whole Foods at one lucky farmers market stand, and Poppi has since been pushing itself onto grocery store shelves all over the world.

She told us all to look under our seats, where I found an orange can of Poppi, along with yet another goody bag.

Just as I pulled an orange lip treatment tube out of the bag, Amy introduced herself as founder and CEO of makeup and skincare brand Tower 28, the only American beauty brand to 100% comply with the National Eczema Association.

Amy turned to the audience to deliver her all-encompassing message, “figure out your lane, become great at it, and don’t stray from your values... whatever it is, think about why you care, and be clear about that the whole time.”

After saying that, “Ego gets you nowhere. Surround yourself with people whose strengths are your weaknesses,” Allison finished off the segment by filming a clip for her series of TikToks she’d post about the day.

I had at least a little bit of new excitement about the rest of the day. Maybe it’s because my caffeine had kicked in, but more likely it was how well this first panel had landed, and I could feel everyone else in the room agreeing with me.

Saturday, 10:30 AM

Wholesale product distribution does not excite me. So, I’ll admit, when the screen displayed the description of Keynote speaker Kathleen Mazzarella, CEO and president of Gray-

I listened to every word. Even what I would normally find cliche was inspiring, because I actually felt that she believed in it, like when she said, “Every single setback happens for a reason. You can’t get too comfortable when it’s good and easy; look for the challenge.” I felt like anyone could have said that sentence, but Kathleen set herself apart when she backed it up with real stories of failure.

She told a few stories that led back to the same character, Dennis. He was a less qualified man who wasn’t making her numbers in sales but beat her for promotions over and over again. Kathleen shared that the reason given to her was that the company wasn’t ready for a woman on the board. So, she ran for presidency. When it came down to the final two candidates, she finally beat Dennis, who promptly quit.

Even without our own “Dennis” to compare to, most of us girls in the room probably would have agreed that we’ve been told to be cautious around men in future workplaces. I’ve heard in so many different ways to “never gloat” or “don’t let them know you’re doing better than them.” It’s discouraging, but the solidarity in the room was real.

After, she took on a lighter tone and casually shared a few hobbies that she took up when getting angry at the men she worked with. Easy and relatable things like running 10 miles, taekwondo fighting, and skydiving.

Some of what she said I’ll think about for the rest of my life, including how, “leadership is about everybody else but you. You don’t need a title to be a leader, you just have to figure out what everyone else can do and help them shine. Leaders move someone else forward.”

This quote was honestly the first thing I wrote down in my notebook that felt like it mattered to me. I’m writing this article for the magazine that I’m at the head of, so it felt fitting to be pushed into a bit of reflection on what a leader truly does.

Saturday, 12:00 PM

Lunch was yet another Poppi, a bag of popcorn, and catered sandwiches from Tatte, one of Boston’s only women owned bakeries. Good enough that I ate my sandwich and half of Courtney’s.

Saturday, 1:30 PM

I was starting to understand why it took 11 months to plan the conference. Every detail was there. Even the popcorn was supplied by a female owned brand, instead of a bulk alternative which could have fed 300 teenagers for a lot cheaper.

Shreya, Courtney, Maya, and I had a conversation about how most of our original apprehensions were fading. I entered the afternoon sessions feeling like I had accomplished some sort of hidden goal of the conference, with more willingness to listen to the remaining speeches and panels.

preneurship, I gave a silent kudos to the planning process. It felt nice to know during the 11 months of planning, effort was put into finding what high school girls might relate to, instead of just jumping into our workshop activity.

Timothee Chalamet’s version of Pure Imagination somehow was the perfect segue. In groups, we were given a list of household items ranging from a measuring tape to a single paper towel.

The goal was to market one ordinary item to sell as repurposed to a different group of people. After a quick introduction from the two girls sitting to my left, we decided the ice cube tray could, and in fact should, be instead sold as a ravioli stamp.

The two New York City girls and I both shared the same opinion. The ravioli making process is severely lacking in efficiency and we’d eat a lot more ravioli with a quicker method.

While it sounds a little dumb to draw large comparisons about business from ravioli, I fully understood the point of the workshop. Entrepreneurship means being the person to take risks with an idea.

Oh, and the girl next to me walked away with a full-size bottle of Olaplex shampoo she received for sharing our idea with the larger group. I walked away scratching my head about how they had afforded all these goodies.

Sunday, November 10th, 9:00 AM

Empowerment and Entrepreneurship were the biggest words of the day. The panel hosted by author and podcast host Grace Beverly, gave us definition to these words, and how to apply them.

The 23-year-old woman who’s earned her spot on the Forbes’ 30 under 30 list, made her start not much older than all the girls in the room. She emphasized how starting any kind of huge goal young teaches you how to make mistakes, since not everything will work out the first time you try. “It’s ok to take small steps and be hesitant. The best advice I can give you is to be realistic,” said Grace.

I might have been one of the only girls in the room who wasn’t outright planning on starting my own business one day. Originally, I had thought that might be the barrier to me gaining anything worthwhile from the conference altogether. Grace’s segment was the one that most clearly was connected to real advice about startups and investments, but I took with me a new drive as a young woman. Grace was that real life example of being a teenager with goals who was taken seriously enough to go somewhere with them.

Saturday, 3:00 PM

We’d been at Harvard now for the length of a whole school day. Any feelings of boredom were forgotten as soon as a clip of the movie Wonka kicked off the group workshop. Even though I was confused by the connection to entre-

Once again fueled up by new Dunkin holiday coffee, Courtney, Shreya, Maya, and I signed in for day two with a little more excitement than we had 24 hours ago. We’d spent the whole car ride home the night before discussing just how much the first day had exceeded expectations.

So, when we entered the lecture hall to settle down for the second day’s sessions, the four of us sat a few rows closer to the stage.

Day two’s first panel was titled Social Impact and named two women who worked for companies I once again hadn’t heard of: Ashley Leftwich, CEO of Rock the Street Wall Street and Katherine Mccord, vice president and community lead of HarbourVest Partners.

Before Ashley began to describe the mission statement of her organization, in my gut I expected some shallow bragging about being a nonprofit founder, and almost gave Shreya an eyeroll or similar look. Pleased to say, I was wrong. What I instead heard was real success sto-

Tattebakerysandwichesforlunch

ries of young women who had gotten their foot in doors of financial and investment mathematics, very typically male dominated fields.

Katherine, a woman holding a high-level position at a

It all felt very relevant to the girls in the room. I’d make an honest estimate that at least 250 of us are on social media enough to see the real effects it’s already having on consumerism. So it was nice to hear Laura, one of those online busi-

TheHarvardUniversitylecturehallhostingtheBOLDconference.

similar financial industry, described the fear of entering these fields. She said, “You see only men in suits in TV and movies, hear stories, but there’s so many opportunities for women... We’ll always feel the challenge of coming across aggressive for being strong willed and decision makers, but you have to just try to push forward without worrying about it.”

This segment connected a lot to the overall idea: why have a conference dedicated to empowering young women? I think at this point my answer was no matter how much people in our lives try to give us advice and encouragement, it doesn’t usually stick. What does is hearing real stories of the women who were all bright eyed 17 year olds once. I don’t necessarily want to own any of the businesses they all do, but their goals aren’t so far off. Everything starts with being able to get your foot in the right door.

Sunday, 10:30 AM

My notes now filled the first 17 pages of my new tiny notebook, and we’d arrived at the very last session of the conference. One final panel, titled Self Love and Beauty, featured Adriana Carrig, founder and CEO of the Little Words Project, and Laura Schubert, founder and CEO of Fur. Adriana and Laura both discussed the double-edged sword to a business that is social media, which had already been a huge talking point throughout the weekend. Both of their brand ideas were created through negative experiences with social media, received backlash via social media, but wouldn’t come anywhere close to their current popularity without it.

ness owners saying, “I don’t push products like ‘women, you need this’ which is so much of what we see online. Hyper consumerism is huge. Instead, let the customer decide what will help them.”

It was all so trustworthy because you don’t see a lot of products made by women and advertised towards women this way.

Sunday, 1:30 PM

31 hours after leaving my house for a conference I knew roughly nothing about, I pulled back into my driveway with more than just the $150 worth of product from the brands of the women who spoke during the weekend (yes, $150 worth of Tower 28 makeup and more. Courtney and Shreya calculated it all while I drove home).

While it would be far too lengthy if I wrote analysis of all the segments we sat through, Courtney, Shreya, Maya and I discussed full detail of every moment during the car ride back home. Things like the woman who designs for Spotify who told her story through song quotes from artists like Charli XCX, or the baker who had started the business that catered all of our sandwiches for lunch.

I think what made it all worthwhile was the realness. They were giving us products, we were eating their food, but they were admitting to failures and telling true stories. Those original doubtful thoughts I had about buzzwords and false advice were wiped entirely.

Without even knowing I was missing it, I had been given a new sense of confidence as a woman to become an advocate and a leader.

The Privilege of Pressure

An exploration of the high pressure culture at Oyster River.

written by JAHRIE HOULE

It’s 1973 and Billy Jean King, winner of 39 major tennis titles, stands at the edge of the court, her focus unwavering as the energy of the crowd buzzes in the stands behind her. The score is close, and the pressure is building; Every stroke of her racket is made not just for herself, but for the future of women’s tennis. With a deep breath, she tosses the ball into the air and, in one steady motion, sends it flying over the net, unreturnable.

King has a famous quote: “Pressure is privilege,” which is currently displayed in the Arthur Ashe Stadium at the US Open. King, as a pioneering athlete and activist, faced extraordinary pressure throughout her professional career

– not just to win tennis matches, but to break down societal barriers and change gender norms. King believed that weighty expectations placed on her that some may view as a burden, are ultimately an immense privilege and an opportunity to rise to the occasion and make history.

When I first read her story, I was truly inspired. Not just by King’s quote, but by her ability to elevate the entire game of women’s tennis while also responding to the pressure placed on her, not by cracking, but by using it as motivation to fuel her groundbreaking achievements, both on and off the court.

I am not a world class tennis player. However, I found

“Thewordspressureandmotivationare synonymous.”-MayaMore(‘25)

that King’s words rang true for many aspects of my own life, including my experience as a student at Oyster River High School (ORHS).

Pressure, in some shape or form, plays a role in everyone’s life. Across the world, learning how to handle academic and athletic pressures is a challenge for many students. These pressures are only heightened in a high-performing atmosphere like ORHS. “Living in a university town, we have a very high percentage of families who have advanced degrees; so, there is a culture around the importance of school and secondary education,” says Kim Sekera, a school counselor at ORHS.

In places where education is valued greatly, the expectations placed on students can be intense. However, this is as example of the privilege we have at ORHS, as it reflects the opportunities available to those who are in environments in which education is prioritized.

School reputation is just one of the many external pressures placed on students to perform well academically. Riley

take the hardest classes, have the best grade point average, and score the highest on the SAT.

I’ve always been a very academically motivated person and place a large part of my identity into my schoolwork. Because of this, it can be hard not to take a less than perfect grade personally. I notice this especially in my English classes. Even if I get a 95 on a paper, an undeniably good grade, I still find myself wondering what I did wrong to lose those 5 points, and if they’re a reflection, not of my writing, but as my worth as a person.

So where is the line that separates self-improvement and self-destruction, one that so many students end up crossing?

“My job is to help students push themselves, but not over the edge,” says Sekera. “Your edge might be very different from someone else’s edge.” She explains that pressure is not a one-size-fits-all and it’s important to know your limits.

I believe that the privilege of pressure, as King puts it, lies not only in being pushed by those rooting for your

“Myjobistohelpstudentspushthemselves,but notovertheedge...youredgemightbevery differentfromsomeoneelsesedge.”-KimSekera

Duggan (’26) shares how her drive to do well in school is partly derived from her desire to live up to the achievements of her family members. “It’s a lot to have all those expectations placed on you... but I wouldn’t have good grades if it was just me disciplining myself.”

While some may relate to an experience like Duggan’s, many students, myself included struggle more with internalized pressure when it comes to academics.

Maya More (’25) shares how for her, most of the pressures she faces are ones placed on her by herself. But despite this, she’s found ways to manage her stress in a healthy way and use it to her advantage. “I’ll make a to do list, and I’ll see it in front of me and I offload that pressure onto the list.”

While she recognizes the inherent challenges that come with placing yourself in high pressure situations, More states that the stress she places on herself to do well in school strengthens her drive and passion for learning. “The words pressure and motivation are synonymous.”

However, at times motivation and perfectionism can be difficult to differetiate. There is a point at which pushing yourself strays from being healthy. Especially in an atmosphere like ORHS, where there is a huge cultural pressure to

success (including yourself), but also in knowing how to manage that pressure and channel it in the right direction. While this is a concept that speaking from personal experience, is incredibly difficult to master (I haven’t yet!), it’s one that with the right resources, everyone has the ability to achieve; resources that are readily available here at ORHS.

In conclusion, when my alarm goes off in the morning after a long night of studying it’s easy to feel sorry for myself. However, the immense privilege I possess to truthfully admit that school is the main thing I worry about, is not lost on me. Once we start noticing that pressure is a privilege and both a normal and necessary step on the journey to achieving our goals, we are already one step closer.

In my opinion, Billy Jean King’s career is a perfect example of how pressure, although difficult to navigate, can be a catalyst for growth and a source of empowerment.

Duggan says, “[this understanding] makes me realize ‘wow, I’m really lucky to have this pressure that’s put on me because then I’m going to grow up and be successful.’”

If you’re interested in learning more about the story behind this quote, read King’s autobiography, “All in”.

Annie’s Epic Food Review

In which Annie gives an epic review of five days of cafeteria food.

written by ANNIE GRAFF

art by MADELINE HEALEY and FINN GRAFF

The bell rings, books are closed, notes are packed up and hordes of students make their way to the epicenter of Oyster River High School (ORHS): the cafeteria. With aching stomachs and hangry temperaments, the line slowly stretches out the door, with everyone looking to get their fill.

Whether it be chicken tenders or pizza, most people I know have their staple food and stick to it. For me, it was a chicken sandwich, curly fries, and strawberry lemonade Vitamin Water. This was my bread and butter, every single day, with the exception of Taco Bowl Tuesdays. Unfortunately, despite the tastiness of the classic chicken sandwich, the monotony of my meals was beginning to eat away at me (pun intended). I decided to go out on a limb. For the week of November 18th to the 22nd I committed to eating the school-provided hot lunch every single day.

The school lunches are prepared by the cooks and managed in part by the high school cafeteria kitchen manager Tim Kenaley, an iconic figure at ORHS. Among his responsibilities he helps to plan the school menu a month in advance with the school nutritionist and decides what drinks and meals that should be served to the students. He takes into account which foods are most popular among students and how much he needs to go around.

In Kenaley’s words, “We’re always a day ahead prepping; like tomorrow we have quesadillas, so we’ve already done most of the leg work for that. You’re always trying to stay a couple days ahead.”

Monday - Chicken and Waffles

The chicken and waffles were a fun surprise for me, I had heard of people eating this strange combo as a breakfast meal, but I had never actually tried it. I later discovered that chicken and waffles were created in Harlem during the Great Depression. On the plate, I was served three goodsized and seasoned chicken tenders, three small waffles served with maple syrup on them, and a handful of sweet potato tater tots.

I first tried the chicken tenders. They tasted as good as they looked, with a very savory seasoning. They had a little tang, but nothing too serious. They were a little lukewarm but overall, that didn’t matter very much. In my opinion, these tenders were much better than the usual grab-and-go tenders that the kitchen also has. They were less dry and

more flavorful.

Moving onto the waffles, I didn’t have much to say. They were smaller and plainer than Eggo waffles. I wish that they had been a little bit crunchier but other than that no complaints. They paired well with a side of maple syrup.

Last and most definitely least were the tater tots. This isn’t the kitchen’s fault, but I really despise sweet potatoes. I

actually didn’t realize they were sweet potato; I thought they were just extremely well-seasoned tots. So, when I did take my first bite of one, it was an immediate assault on my taste buds. I was completely taken aback and honestly offended by the sweet potato. I tried to be strong and get over it, but it offset the rest of the meal for me.

The meal was delicious, not including the tots. I tried the chicken with the waffle and was pleasantly surprised by the combo. That made me feel a little better after the tot incident. This meal was extremely filling, with a high amount of protein and carbs and left me with a full belly and lots of energy for the rest of the day. I would rate this meal as a solid 7/10. It did drop a couple of points because of the tots, but if this was served again, I would get it. Sans tots.

Tuesday - Taco Bowl

Taco Bowl Tuesday is a classic. I could have had a twelvecourse meal just 20 minutes before but if someone says “hey, they’re serving taco bowls in the caf,” you bet I’m getting my bowl.

Every taco bowl comes with a layer of corn chips, a choice of protein, carbs, dairy, and vegetable. My ride or die bowl is beef, rice, beans, queso, shredded mozzarella, and lettuce. It never gets old. This time around it was just like every other. My bowl was perfect, the beef had a little taco seasoning, I had extra chips, and there was just the right amount of queso.

There are no notes on this: Taco Bowl Tuesday is my idea of perfection. A fully balanced yet customizable meal, and it’s delicious. There are only two things I can think of that would stand between me and my taco bowl; death, or an empty lunch account.

Overall, this is a 10/10 in my book. I love Taco Bowl Tuesday.

Wednesday - Italian Sub

This one was exciting for me because I work at a deli. I’ve made about a thousand Italian subs in the past 6 months so if anyone’s an expert it’s me. This Italian was served on a white 6-inch sub roll, dry, with American cheese, salami, and ham. This was the base sandwich, and we were offered to add veggies that we like at the salad bar. Along with the sub came a side of unsweetened Applesauce, Lays Kettle Cooked potato chips, and some pickle slices.

The sandwich itself was good. I opted not to add any vegetables so if anything, it was a little plain. If I could go

back and add vegetables I would have gone with the classic lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and pickles. Other than that, the sub was terrific. Paired with the applesauce and chips it was a packed meal that offered all the food groups. I felt satisfied afterwards and ready to seize the day.

I would absolutely get this meal again, and I give it an 8/10.

Thursday – Thanksgiving Meal

This one was the big boy. A full Thanksgiving meal served on real plates and everything. In Mouth of the River (MOR) member Amelia Rury’s “73 Questions with Time Kenaley” he states that this turkey dinner was his favorite ORHS meal and will never be beat. To preface the meal Kenaley sent out a picture of it to the entire staff via email with the caption “It’s that time again.”

Thursday dawned and I rose ready for war. I faced the lunch line with bated breath as I caught a glimpse of what I

was about to experience.

The full plate included turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, butternut squash, green bean casserole, pumpkin ravioli, and the dreaded sweet potato.

It was back.

The moment I saw it I had flashbacks to Monday, the sweet potato tater tots. I couldn’t turn to cowardice now though; I had to experience the full meal. I knew what I had to do.

The first to go was the turkey. The meat was white, savory, a little dry but other than that I had no complaints. I was surprised to learn that the turkey served was fresh as Kenaley informed me afterwards that they used seven ten-pound turkeys for this meal.

After the turkey, I kept making my way around the plate. Next was the mashed and the stuffing, another Thanksgiving staple. I suspected the mashed potatoes were boxed as they had an unusually sweet flavor, but I still enjoyed them. Combining them with turkey and stuffing made for the classic, filling and piquant taste of Thanksgiving dinner.

Next, I moved onto the vegetables. Green bean casserole, I’ll be honest it impressed me. I usually don’t like green beans, they’re far too earthy for me. Something about the way this casserole was cooked relaxed that earthy flavor quite a bit and I ended up enjoying it.

The next part was a hurdle for me, butternut squash. Throughout my childhood I had always vehemently avoided the butternut squash at Thanksgiving dinner. I had never actually tried it, but just looking at the texture I knew I would not appreciate it at all. Unfortunately, my time had come. Although the texture was mushy and gross, the flavor was unexpectedly sweet which I enjoyed.

The plate was nearly empty at this point, only the leftover casualties of discarded crumbs remained. The sweet potato was staring me down. Ever since I had been jumped three days before by the sweet potato tater tots, I looked at the starch with a new contempt. Avoidance was no use, and my fate was sealed reluctantly I gave in. The sweet potato was everything I had feared.

Yet, there was hope. On the other side of the battle, I saw my messiah.

Pumpkin ravioli.

Oh, what could I say about pumpkin ravioli. My first bite was confusing. I thought the inside would contain some type of cheese, but no. It was a strange, different kind of flavor that was somehow better than any other type of ravioli I had experienced.

The ravioli began to disappear off the plate. It was a massacre. It took me about three minutes between my first bite and my last to demolish every one of the raviolis. I shared them with my friend, and I could tell by the look on her face she was experiencing the same thing. We quickly traveled from my advisory back to the cafeteria. We needed more. The cafeteria staff serving me was confused, distressed even. What type of psychopath would get an entire plate of ravioli? In my mania I paid her no mind, only insisting on the ravioli. I got as much as I could.

That day, we feasted. 10/10

Friday-Pizza

Pizza was an easy and delicious meal after so much preparation for Thursday. The cafeteria presented me with three options: plain, BBQ chicken, and pepperoni. I decided to shake things up a little and get the BBQ chicken. It was served with a side of broccoli.

Usually I like broccoli, but I simply could not get behind the texture of this particular broccoli. I believe it was steamed instead of cooked, and it was too soft for my liking. That, however, is just a personal preference and the taste was fine. The pizza itself was not quite hot enough and I wish the cheese was meltier. Other than that, the BBQ chicken was just delightful. This meal is messy to eat; unfortunately, the chicken doesn’t really like to stay on the pizza. I ended up just picking the chicken off and eating the pizza and chicken separately.

I think this meal would have paired great with a hundred percent less broccoli, about fifty percent more cheese, and maybe a side of chips.

Afterwards I felt suitably full, and my taste buds were happy enough. My rating comes to a 6/10.

At the end of the week the contestants for my favorite meal were very close between the taco bowl and the Thanksgiving dinner. Although the Thanksgiving dinner obviously had much love and effort poured into it, it was hard for me to get over my long-time bias for my beloved taco bowl.

After much thought and consideration however, I had to give the trophy to the Thanksgiving meal. Despite the fact that I wasn’t necessarily a fan of everything offered, the attention to detail and the sheet amount of food offered had to take first place. The pumpkin ravioli gained many points in my book as well and far overshadowed any of the flaws in the meal, (sweet potato).

Participating in school lunch for an entire week granted me a newfound appreciation for the amount of manpower that goes into keeping us fed. From building the menus with a nutritionist to buying and making our meals the kitchen is highly underappreciated. It can be no easy task to keep hundreds of hungry highschoolers satisfied and my hat goes off to every faculty member that has to deal with that. To all of them, I give a five-star rating.

MOR Presents:

filmed by AMELIA RURY

73 Questions With Tim Kenaley Volume II

Swiss Army Spiers

New position, same Spiers.

written by ULYSSES SMITH

From answering a quick math question in the hall between classes to putting up cafeteria chairs during FLEX overflow, Greg Spiers, Oyster River High School (ORHS)’s newly appointed substitute coordinator is always willing to help. “When I’m here, I want to be available to help in the way that I’m most useful,” says Spiers.

me from a D+ or worse math student to an A- or better math student,” says Spiers. “He made me grind through problem sets, silently erasing my mistakes and making me do my work over and over until I got it right.”

SpiersskatingonthelakethathegrewuponintheHudsonValleyofNewYork.Hespenthischildhoodswimming,fishing,turtle “hunting,”andskatingonthatlake.

But Spiers is no stranger to ORHS. He originally joined the district in 2021 as a long-term substitute for science teacher Tracey Benkosky. She commends his resilience and adaptability, saying, “Spiers really stepped up to a tough situation.” Since then, he has filled countless roles in the high school, including teaching computer science, running the math lab, assisting with summer credit recovery, and tutoring struggling science students, to name a few.

“He’s one of those teachers that cares about you as a person,” says Anjae McConnell (’25), who was in Spiers’ biology class as a freshman. His approach to education is rooted in his own experiences with perseverance, shaped by his grandfather, a retired principal and math teacher.

“He sat me down one weekend and permanently turned

This lesson in resilience has stayed with Spiers, and as McConnell recalls, it’s evident in his classroom. “Spiers is willing to sit down with you and say, ‘No, you’re wrong, do it again, do it again.’” She also emphasizes how he reinforces the idea that your assignments don’t represent your value as a person and that he wants you to succeed.

Spiers explains that because of his experience with his grandfather, he can see the potential in many of his students. “Even if they think they can’t, I know they can, as long as they have the right kind of support and the right attitude. I know because I was once like them.”

Like McConnell, Alex Eustace, English and theater teacher at ORHS, also appreciates Spiers’ contributions. He highlights Spiers’ combination of expertise and teaching ability. “There’s a real difference between being an expert and being able to teach people. Spiers is both, in a way that not a lot of

photos courtesy of GREG SPIERS

people are.”

But Spiers wasn’t always focused on education.

After studying Biology at Marist College, he moved to Boston to work for boston.com as a web designer and data analyst. While there, he began to wonder if his skills might be more useful in scientific research. So, he left for Boston University (BU) to study bioinformatics.

While at BU, he began working part-time at a local high school. He was halfway through his last year of graduate school at BU when he realized much of his research would likely be devoted to problems that already had solutions rooted in education.

ratively and literally,” says Spiers. “We come back to school and they’re like, ‘Oh, wow, you broke my ankles and buckled me. You know what? You’re okay. Can you help me with my stoichiometry now?’”

But he’s not just a chemistry wiz, he’s also a Master of Data.

“Spiers understands spreadsheeting in a way that I will never understand any program in my entire life,” says Baver. “I watched him as he created a spreadsheet, and it was like Mozart composing music.”

Those who understand Spiers know that for him, it’s all about creating order and purpose. “At the end of the day, it’s

“Iwatchedhimashecreatedaspreadsheet,andit waslikeMozartcomposingmusic.”

-JakeBaver

This once again left him questioning the impact of his work and shifted his focus to education. “I felt like I could do more good as an educator than as a scientific researcher, because if I work in education, maybe fewer people will have problems and I can inspire more people to develop solutions, right?” he says.

Eustace praises this dedication, saying, “I don’t think anyone can dispute that Spiers, above all else, wants to help others and make the world a better place.”

Spiers grew up in a small rural town in the Hudson Valley of New York. “My father was a cabinetmaker, and my mother was a principal’s assistant,” he says. “Both are also lifelong volunteer first responders and active community members. Their example gave me my strong sense of community and desire to help others.”

And his selflessness shines in unexpected moments. Not only does Spiers put students first in the context of school, but he even turned down an opportunity to perform at Coffee House last year. “He kept saying, ‘No, no, no, this is for the kids,’” recalls ORHS writing tutor Jake Baver, “And I kept saying, “You don’t understand, Spiers. The kids are gonna go nuts if they hear you become Animal from the Muppets on his drum kit.”

But Spiers is more than just a dedicated educator. He has a variety of interests outside the classroom. In addition to his hidden talent for percussion, he also enjoys studying paleontology, playing hockey, and organizing life into spreadsheets.

“I’ve run into some of my students at the rink, both figu-

just boxes, it’s just cubes and squares and cells on a spreadsheet,” says Eustace. “I think somewhere along the lines, that man understood that human happiness and fulfillment and morality fit into a single box, and he is constructing the box before our very eyes.”

This sense of structure extends to his view on teaching, as Spiers believes that educators must not only focus on the present world but also consider the future.

Spiers was very interested in two things as a young child: dinosaurs and the titanic. He first read “JurassicPark” when he was about ten and was thrilled by the fact that the dinosaurs were not the result of magic, but rather science and technology. He wondered, “If we could recreate dinosaurs, what other seemingly impossible things could be made possible?” That realization sparked his lifelong interest in biology and genetics. Many of his students will recall him displaying Arthur C. Clarke’s third law in his classroom: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”

When he was a long term-substitute for Intro to Computer Science, he would end each class with a short video of a recent technological breakthrough, ranging from using wireless technology to overcome paralysis or using machine learning to teach a robot how to play soccer. He says, “I think that something we always need to be aware of when we’re learning, [is that] we’re not preparing for the world we’re in today, but for the world we’re going to find ourselves in tomorrow.”

Under Pressure

Has peer pressure changed through the generations?

written by BELLA JACKMAN

art by EMILY JACKMAN

Duetothenatureoftheinterviewsandinordertodisguiseeachgeneration,everyoneinterviewedwillremainanonymous

As someone in high school, I have not only heard about but experienced peer pressure. After experiencing it myself, I wondered if people who are my parents, grandparents, or even my younger cousin’s age have experienced similar or totally different things than I have. So, I interviewed someone from every generation to find their experience with peer pressur e and see if it has changed or gotten any easier.

It can be assumed that at least once in a person’s lifetime they will be affected in one way or another by peer pressure, whether it is the indirect influence of other people’s actions, or the direct pressure and forcefulness from a peer. But writing this article I thought about how the stories from each generation made me realize, maybe it hasn’t changed, at least not in the way I initially thought it did.

lett, drugs and alcohol being talked about more frequently may also lead to more curiosity. But curiosity is not necessarily a bad thing. “I think curiosity is a great thing, the more curious you are the more answers you can get,” said Bartlett. What helped me realize that peer pressure hasn’t changed throughout the generations was hearing from the perspective of a Baby Boomer, let’s call her R. Being one of the oldest living generations I assumed that when Boomers were my age, they were much more innocent than most kids today. But after interviewing R I realized I was wrong.

R had an experience where she said no to peer pressure in one way but gave into it in another. “She asked to borrow my purse to go into a store and steal, but I wouldn’t go in with her. So, she said give me your purse and she went in to steal things from the store.

“Ithinkcuriosityisagreatthing,themorecuriousyouarethemoreanswersyoucanget,”-Britta Bartlett

At first, I thought substance pressure situations were unique to Generation Z, but after interviewing C, a member of Generation X who talked about peer pressure and her experience with drinking and driving, it led me to believe the opposite.

“I was with a friend of mine, we were at a party, drinking with boys, and we didn’t have a good way to get out of the situation . It was more of who has been drinking less, who is safer to drive, so I drove because I didn’t drink as much,” said C.

The education on what C went through is more prevalent than in older generations, so it is discussed more amongst young people. “Who is safer to drive” is something Gen Z would’ve been taught is not right – since it’s still drunk driving. Now, driving under the influence is talked about in health class heavily, whereas for Generation X that is not the case. According to Oyster River’s licensed drug and alcohol counselor, Britta Bart-

I had her clean out whatever she had in my purse, and I stopped hanging around with her,” said R.

Baby Boomers were once my age too, when peer pressure can be very common. I think her willingness to share their situation showed this was an older generation. It’s not likely younger Generations would be as open to sharing situations involving such a serious matter. Not to say that peer pressure has changed, but I think that at this point in time when two of the generations are mostly minors, they wouldn’t have the tendency to share rules they have broken quite yet.

While M’s situation is different, the action of giving into pressure is the same as the other generations. Smaller similarities like rebelling against their parents is what shows how peer pressure hasn’t changed throughout the generations. I believe that all generations can relate in one way or another to going against their

parents.

M knows how it feels to be pressured into one thing not knowing it could lead to even more, from an experience when a pressured drive out of town led to sneaking into a hotel pool. “We took our car places our parents would not approve of… I snuck out after bedtime, and I went off into a hotel pool. That was a lot of pressure on me to do it,” said M.

I think increased awareness in social settings today influences younger generations to think twice about sneaking into places like hotels, but I do believe it is still very common. This specific example shows M’s awareness of knowing what she did was wrong, which I think all the generations can relate to.

Relating back to what I have been saying about peer pressure not changing, I think that all generations could tell you about being pressured into “silly things” when they were younger. But for E, who is part of Generation Alpha right now, that silly thing she was pressured into doing is the first thing that came into her mind when I asked her if she had ever been pressured into something. Even in everyday life, peer pressure situations can occur. They can happen in places like work or home, but for E, it was at school. “Once, my friend forced me to tell their crush that I liked them, even though I didn’t, but I said it anyway and I regret it now.” Following that E realized that she could make her own decisions, even in situations where someone is pressuring you. “You have your own mind, and you don’t need to do anything anyone tells you to do,” said E.

Teaching the younger generations the importance of saying no in low-risk circumstances is important so that when they are older, and more serious situations arise they know that they can make their own decisions. Being Generation Alpha, E had heard how important it is before to not give into peer pressure, but it wasn’t engrained in her, and that led to her doing something she didn’t want to do.

Being part of Generation Z, W knows exactly how it feels to experience peer pressure today. What he didn’t talk about during the interview but differentiates Gen. Z from other generations, is so-

cial media. Being pressured into doing something that goes against things like school rules, or even the law is much riskier these days, in one click your life could be changed, and things like making a sports team, or in extreme cases getting into things like college or the military could be ruined. This shows the importance of saying no in peer pressure situations, especially now.

Drugs and alcohol are two of the biggest reasons individuals are pressured. W has experienced this pressure firsthand. “When I was pressured into smoking I kind of wanted to try it and that see how it was, but I it wasn’t fully my decision ,” said W.

Like other generations, Gen. Z knows the pressure surrounding drugs and alcohol all too well. Being a member of Generation Z, W understands that. There is pressure around partaking in drinking and smoking, but I believe that it helps that it is talked about so much. For some people knowing the possible negative outcome makes their conscience kick in which is why I think the action W took was not fully his decision, he knew he shouldn’t but the pressure from his peers was more powerful than his desire to say no.

Finding that power to say no is so important when it comes to drugs and alcohol. “Being able to say no is a skill especially with the amount of peer pressure that can happen [in high school],” said Bartlett. Bartlett also used an analogy that can help students stop their problems at the root of the cause. “If there are Oreos in the house, I’m going to eat all the Oreos. If I just don’t buy them at the grocery store, then I don’t have access to them,”

Looking at these stories overall I notice how peer pressure really doesn’t really change. Doing my interviews I thought that I would discover how peer pressure got easier, or harder throughout the generations, but I found that through generations the effect of time did nothing. The younger generations have the same pressure to do things they don’t necessarily want to do just as the older generations did.

One may think that as a generation ages, peer pressure gets easier. But through writing this article I learned that it’s the generation that changes, not the peer pressure.

But Which Do I Choose?

Here are some of the Class of ‘25’s course recommendations.

written by PAIGE STEHLE

When I was choosing classes from 8th-11th grade, the Oyster River High School (ORHS) Program of Studies was my best friend—so much so that I would read it for fun whenever I felt down! I realize, however, that a 64-page detailed document is not everyone’s preferred reading material.

Instead, here’s a 3-page article that’s hopefully more fun, and gives you some help from the experts: those who have picked four years’ worth of classes. I asked many of the seniors of the class of 2025 for their favorite electives and non-required

AP Physics 1

(Prerequisite: A2/Trig)

As Maya More (‘25) falls asleep, she thinks of physics. Force, momentum....if momentum is mass times velocity, andforceismasstimesacceleration...isforcejustmomentum over time??

You may not know these terms yet, but if you take AP Physics 1, you’ll learn them! And who knows, eventually maybe you’ll dream about them too.

A lot of people recommend this class. Oliver Sterndale (‘25), says, “The teacher, Mr. Thibault, is great; he teaches things very well. He’s very direct with his teaching and that helps a lot. Also, I liked the content.” Sterndale liked the class so much that he is now taking AP Physics 2, also with Jim Thibault, ORHS physics teacher.

Not only did More really like the class, but she is also proud to know how the topics she learned have stuck with her even afterwards. “Every time you see the trick where somebody pulls the cloth off the table [and everything on the table stays exactly where it is], you’re like, ‘I know exactly how to do that!’”

If you want to dream about science, or at least witness some cool explosions, take AP Physics 1.

Intro to Business /AP Economics

Want to be a successful businessperson? While you may still be in high school, you can get a head start on your dreams by taking Intro to Business and/or AP Economics.

Courtney George (‘25) recommends Intro to Business. “I think it’s a very interactive class. You get to choose your own business that you get to work on...you get to expand on that through the different topics that we go over in class.”

Parker Keeler (‘25), recommends AP Economics. “I really like Mr. Lacasse; he’s very funny and makes the class very entertaining...it’s a good balance of working and also having fun.”

Keeler is deciding between pursuing business or economics after ORHS. “I think I’m going to go down the path of economics—[the class] might have had a sway on that decision,” says Keeler.

While AP Econ was the class that set Keeler down her path, Intro to Business is the class that set George down hers. “I want to be a business major—actually, one of the activities we did in class helped determine that...and I realized I liked the management part of that,” says George.

If you want to learn more about how the business world works, take AP Economics and/or Intro to Business.

Childhood Development 1 & 2

Ever seen the little kiddos roaming the halls, their cute art covered in scribbles and badly spelled names hung outside some of the classrooms? Well, if you take this class, you get to hang out with them!

Childhood Development is the one class I wish I had time to take during my own high school career. Childhood Development 1&2, which are separate classes taken in the same year, cover the whole span of the, well, development of children. Students can put what they’ve learned into action by working with the preschoolers that are a part of the Preschool Education Program (PEP).

Ainsley Beaupre (‘25) recommends this class. “I’m going into education, so a child development class was really interesting for my career path.”

If you like spending time with kids, or want to work with them in the future, take this class. If you don’t like kids...still take this class! You were a kid once, you know. Learn about who you used to be!

AP US History

(Prerequisite: US History)

When I first heard the term APUSH, I was confused. Is that a company? A brand? Nope! It’s ORHS’s Advanced Placement United States History course.

Abby Trojan (‘25), recommends this course. “I like history and I love Mrs. Van Dyke—I loved [the class] so much that now I TA [Teaching Assistant].”

While every student is required to take US History their sophomore year, Trojan emphasized how APUSH really dives deeper and goes over much, much more of American history than what the required course covers—which interested her immensely.

Trojan is planning on pursuing anthropology and archaeology when she leaves ORHS. While the school doesn’t have any classes related to her career path, “It’s the closest class to what I want to do,” says Trojan.

If you enjoyed sophomore year’s US History class, take AP US History.

Linguistics

TAKE LINGUISTICS TAKE LINGUISTICS TAKE LINGUISTICS. Okay, has it been burned into your brain yet? Take. Linguistics.

I’m really, really biased about this class. This is my favorite class I have ever taken, ever. I liked it so much that I’m going to major in it!

When I took this class, it was taught by Alex Eustace, ORHS English and Acting teacher. He really knows his stuff, so he made the class very engaging. Usually though, Shawn Kelly, ORHS English teacher, teaches Linguistics, and I guess he’s okay too (he grades my articles, so I have to say that...).

And don’t worry, I’m not the only one who likes this class. Anika Pant (‘25) also enjoyed the class, and says, “I really liked the discussion-based aspect of it.” And I agree—if you ever want to argue about whether you believe swearing a lot means you’re smarter or stupider, this class is for you.

Although More likes physics so much she dreams about it, she also enjoys other classes, including this one. She says, “The content was so interesting; I was fascinated.” And no, I didn’t pay her to say that.

TAKE LINGUISTICS. There, it’s burnt into your brain.

“I’mgoingintoeducation,soachilddevelopment classwasreallyinterestingformycareerpath.”

Advanced Studio Art

(Prerequisites: Drawing and Painting 1&2 OR Ceramics 1 & Advanced Ceramics)

A few weeks ago, I bumped into Maggie Zhang (‘25) in the hallway, where she was holding what looked like the world’s biggest canvas precariously balanced on top of her other school supplies. When I begged her to show me her art piece, she cautiously showed me, warning me it was unfinished—and showed me one of the coolest paintings I’ve ever seen.

This painting was one she’s working on in Advanced Studio Art. Based on what I’ve heard, you can do whatever you want in this class—ceramics, drawing, painting, and more.

Zhang agrees with what I’ve heard. “[I like] the amount of freedom I have, and I like art in general. We had so much freedom to create what we want [so] I got to just make cool stuff.”

Zhang is a STEM girlie, but she’s one of the most talented artists I’ve ever seen. “I definitely want to continue making art in college, even if it’s not my major. I love art too much to drop it,” she says.

Not only do you get to make art in Advanced Studio Art, but seniors in the class get to display their creations in the Senior Artist showcase in the spring. Every time I’ve gone, I’ve felt inspired by the sheer amount of talent in the room!

If you like art, take Advanced Studio Art. I can’t wait to see what you make!

Career Technical Education (CTE) Courses

In the middle of every school day, the yellow school busses return, and teenagers pile in. You might ask yourself: Wheredotheygo?Isitadaily fieldtrip?WhyamInotinvited?

These students are taking one of many CTE courses—technical classes taught at one of three neighboring high schools: either the Dover Regional Career Technical Center, Rochester R.W. Creteau Regional Technology Center, or the Somersworth Career Technical Center.

Nicholai Robinson-Kiang (‘25) recommends the CTE course Electrical Technology 1. “I like the class because it’s hands-on and I like handson learning, when you actually get into things and can deep-dive into the subject,” he says.

As I’ve talked to all these seniors, I’ve noticed a common trend: their favorite classes often correspond with what they plan to do after high school. I asked Robinson-Kiang whether this was also true for him, and sure enough, it was. “It’s a trade class for electricians and I’ve been thinking about doing a trade, I’m just not sure which trade to do yet,” he says.

The CTE program doesn’t just include electrical classes; there’s so many to choose from: health science, cosmetology, animation, restaurant management, and more. All of these, in my opinion, are super cool subjects.

If I were a cooler person, I would have taken a CTE course. If you’re a cool person, take a CTE course (talk to Sean Peschel, ELO coordinator, to make that happen).

Unfortunately, you can only take so many classes in your four years of high school. Hopefully, these recommendations have helped you narrow down your selection, or if nothing else, given you some insight into cool courses!

If you want more inspiration on classes to take, here are some other honorable mentions:

Photography (recommended by Pant)

Genocide in the Modern World (recommended by More)

Drawing and Painting 2 (recommended by Colin Caron (‘25))

AP Physics 2 (recommended by Jack Smith (‘25))

AP Statistics (recommended by Dom Couture (‘25))

Adulting (recommended by Beaupre)

Philosophy (recommended by More)

Best of luck on your course selection journey!

Burger Battle

Just a couple of boys trying and ranking burgers in the area.

written by KEVIN KELL

and KAI NIELD

For over a century, the hamburger has been a staple of almost every American’s diet. In an effort to find the best burger in the Durham area, we traveled to 6 different places to test their hamburgers. We went to sit down restaurants, fast food chains, and even a gas station. During our testing we took multiple factors into account. As soon as we walked into the restaurant, we were taking note of the service and price. After we got the burger, we evaluated how it looked, tasted, and the quality of the ingredients. All these factors were carefully considered and pieced together into a final rating out of ten. The best burger may be somewhat of a surprise, here’s what we came up with.

Check out @mor.magazine on TikTok for the review videos corresponding with each.

Last Place

Location: Circle K Food: Bacon Cheeseburger

Rating 2.2/10 Price: $6.44

To start off the rankings, we had extremely low expectations for this burger. It was a very basic burger that consisted of a traditional bun, 1 patty, cheese, and 1 piece of bacon. The first impression we got of this burger was that the bun was rock solid, almost taking the shape and texture of a hockey puck. This was something we did not see from any other burger, which really caught us off guard. The hockey puck tasted as if it was made 2 weeks ago out of dumpster scraps and then reheated upon our arrival. However, the one thing that was nice was how quickly we were able to get it. All we had to do was walk into Irving and grab it off the heated shelf. While this was easily the worst tasting and looking burger, it was still not the cheapest, coming to $5.99 and $6.44 with tax. This is the only burger we threw out after one bite and without a doubt the worst burger we tested by far. We will most definitely not be having it again.

Fifth Place

Location: Wendys Food: Dave’s Single Rating: 3.6/10 Price: $6.39

The Wendys Dave’s Single was something both of us had previously only tried once or twice. For a solid price, you get a single patty with lettuce, onion, pickles, tomato, American cheese, ketchup, and mayo. For a burger with all those toppings, we both found it very interesting how small and depressing the burger appeared. This almost sad sense continued when we gave the burger a try. It was bland, and any flavor it did have was subpar. It sort of tasted like something I would expect astronauts to eat in space... and no Wendy, that is not a compliment. The patty was very dry, and even with the ketchup, mayo, and tomato (three VERY wet things) trying to bring some moisture to the burger, it wasn’t enough. The American cheese was maybe the worst cheese out of all these burgers. It was very rubbery and was wayyyy too strong for both of our likings. The lettuce was also a major letdown, even with the low expectations. Despite all this, we must give some credit to the service as this burger really put the “fast” in fast food. We hardly had the time to fill up our drinks when the food was ready.

Fourth Place

Location: McDonalds Food: Big Mac

Rating 4.2/10 Price: $6.50

This classic signature, widely known across America, was maybe not what it is hyped up to be. The burger has two patties, three buns, pickles, onions, special sauce, and lettuce. What was one of the more unique burgers of the bunch because of the third bun in the middle of the burger, however it did not impress us at all. The extra bun in the middle dried the burger up quite a bit and left a sandpaper sensation in our mouths. The cheese on this burger was very rubbery and did not look much like normal cheese in the slightest. With these other major issues, the biggest was the size of the patties. McDonald’s had the thinnest and weakest patties of the burgers as well which made the two patties seem like only one, yet the Big Mac was not the cheapest. The Big Mac had some of the fastest service as well as extremely convenient kiosks to order from. You would think one of America’s biggest burger chains would at least have a fighting chance as the top burger but we’re not so sure about that.

Third Place

Location: JP’s Grill Food: Cheeseburger with 3 toppings

Rating 6.8/10 Price: $14.10

Although they’re not necessarily known for their burgers, this was a popular suggestion from people, so it became hard for us to leave them out. For a hefty sum, JP’s Grill’s burger holds a single patty with American cheese, lettuce, onions, and tomato. Ketchup was supposed to be a part of that but unfortunately, it wasn’t put on either of ours. The cheeseburger as a whole was just slightly above average. The toppings were pretty good, which was crucial as the toppings kind of ran the show here and made up most of the overall taste. However, every few bites we got a nice char from the burger that both of us enjoyed. The bun was nothing special and the cheese was very average. Both of these sort of disappointed us because for over $14 we’d expect the essentials to have some quality. Overall, it tasted good but with the high prices and slightly disappointing patty, we couldn’t rank it any higher.

Second Place

Location: Hop and Grind Food: “Our Classic”

Rating 8.4/10 Price: $10.85

Hop and Grind is one of the more famous burger places in the town of Durham and they did not disappoint. We got the burger that they call “Our Classic” with a sesame seed bun, single patty, cheese, hop sauce (Hop and Grind’s signature sauce), pickles, and onion strings. This burger had the longest wait of about 20 minutes, but to be fair that is something to expect from a primarily sit-down restaurant. Their patty was thick and juicy making it some of the better-quality beef we had in our rankings. The cheese was also top tier and a huge step up from the flat out disgusting rubbery cheese we saw from other places. The only knock one would give this burger was how messy it was. There may have been a bit too many toppings. This burger was just a very good looking and good tasting burger all around and a very good option for a burger. I’d agree with the fame this burger has in Durham, no question.

First Place

Location: Five guys Food: Cheeseburger with 3 toppings

Rating: 8.5/10 Price: $10.68

This cheeseburger got off to a hot start as we opened up the wrapper to see the exciting surprise of two big patties. For the price of $10.68, we got those two patties, American cheese, lettuce, pickles, and ketchup. Despite this not having the most toppings, this ended up being the biggest burger we tried. This was a very pretty burger, wwhich is somewhat unusual for fast-food restaurants like Five Guys. The best part was that the taste absolutely backed it up. The patties were juicy and very well cooked, with the pickles and lettuce doing a great job complementing the overall taste. The ketchup was strong but not overpowering enough to make the burger any worse. The bun was definitely a hit as it was buttery and nicely toasted. Our only complaint was the cheese as it was very rubbery, but luckily, the flavor and texture were mostly drowned out by the other toppings. For a fast-food place like this, $10.68 seems like a lot, but whoever the “Five Guys” were that made our burgers did a really good job in making it worth every dollar.

The boys will be back next issue trying something else... see you soon!

(Class)Room To Grow

I asked students about their favorite rooms in Oyster River High School (ORHS) and how they feel their physical environment affects their work.

written by ELISE BACON

Isquint my eyes in relief as I leave the harsh fluorescent light of the hallway, into the soft ambience of the art rooms. Every spare inch of wall is covered in art and color. Then, through to the end of the hall, everything in sight is basking in natural light.

I have always enjoyed the art room because of its abundance of natural light and variety of spaces, from the smaller, ambient, collaborative style areas in the front, to the high ceilings, big windows, and workshop-style of the rooms to the back. However, that’s not exactly the model of every high school classroom.

MOR previously published an article written by former student Grace Webb, “Keeping up with the Klassrooms”, that focused on teachers’ approaches and preferences to their classroom environment. Inspired by this, I asked students about their favorite rooms and how they feel their physical environment affects their work in the classroom.

While I’m drawn to the art room’s big sunny windows, Aniela Holden (‘25) appreciates the softer light of the Writing Center, which allows her to loosen up and lock in. “Having dim lights like we have in the Writing Center puts you more in a ‘oh I’m ready to get work done mood’. It makes you feel not so over stimulated... I feel like having those bright lights, can make our minds more active and easier to distract.”

Though lighting is an important part of any classroom, it isn’t the only environmental factor that can affect how we

learn on a day-to-day basis.

For Madeline Healey (‘25), the layout of a room is just as important as the lighting and decorations, it just depends on the subject. Especially in more discussion-based subjects, such as English and Social Studies, she enjoys the ‘seminar style’ layout of Shawn Kelly, ORHS English teacher, and Eden Suoth, ORHS social studes teacher’s rooms. “It makes it feel like you’re not the only one answering and receiving the questions to the teacher, but it’s like you are

“HavingdimlightslikewehaveintheWriting Center,itputsyoumoreina‘oh,I’mreadytoget work done’ mood.”

TheWritingCenter

“I think teachers who customize their classroom tomakeitmorelikewhotheyareasaperson andtowhattheirclassesare,andexpressthemselvesthroughdifferentthings,makeitmore comfortable.”

-MadelineHealey(‘25)

a part of a crowd and you can also learn from the other students.”

Lorelye LeClair (‘26) also enjoys an open layout that allows for conversation but admits that she feels more productive when in a more typical lecture-style set up. “If I’m being honest, I feel like I’m more productive in the lecture style type classes, all the desks are facing the front of the room, because I wouldn’t be sitting next to my friends necessarily, [and would be] focusing more on the teacher.”

Economics teacher Brianna Arsenault has no windows in her second floor C classroom, but like the Writing Center, has found other ways to bring her room to life. LeClair named Arsenault as a favorite because of her careful balance of light and layout.

Decor is another important piece of any learning environment. Healey enjoys how the many posters around Trevor Garman’s room reflect not only his personality, but also his curriculum. They help her get into the zone for his classes. “Like in Science Fiction, there’s a lot of things that connect to the books that we’re reading in class or subjects

we’re talking about. So, you’ll find a trinket and it’ll make you think of an idea for your science fiction essay.”

Healey says, “I think teachers who customize their classroom to make it more like who they are as a person and to what their classes are, and express themselves through different things, make it more comfortable”

At the end of the day, maybe there is no “one size fits all,” classroom environment because everyone learns and interprets their environment differently.

EnglishTeacherShawnKelly’sclassroom.

Brianna Arsenault’s classroom

Iron Sharpens Iron

The ping pong league that has taken Oyster River by storm.

written by OLIVIA ANDERSEN artwork by of COLLEEN KEELEY

Ping Pong, Table Tennis, a.k.a.: Iron Sharpens Iron (I.S.I).

If you ever find yourself walking through the halls after school, you might be able to hear multiple rival paddles battling in intense matches in the cafeteria, otherwise known as “the Bistro.”

Students and staff meet in the Bistro weekly to compete in table tennis matches. Two staff members started this silly yet competitive “unofficial” club, one night last school year. “It began with Mr. Calato and I feverishly playing ping pong until like three a.m.” says Jake Baver.

These two staff members became so invested in this sport that they brought it back into the halls of Oyster River High School (ORHS).

“It started at a teacher workshop day last year. Ping tables were out in the gym, it coincided with the ping pong unit, and we had some time to play games. Several of us started playing and realized that there’s a handful of us that can play, and that turned into an after-school thing” says science teacher Jon Bromley.

“Some students caught wind of this and once we realized that there were enough passionate ping pong players trying to play it became more of a fun, silly exercise,” says Baver. As more students and faculty joined in, it became the unofficial club that it is today. They found a permanent place to play this sport after school in the Bistro. The members of this newfound ping pong league gave it a name: Iron Sharpens Iron.

In addition to this, Baver also sends out a weekly newsletter called the Iron Flyer. “It made it more intense to do a weekly update that felt like ‘if you’re in you’re in,’ but anyone can join. It’s a lot of silly word play so it’s fun for me as a writ-

er, but more importantly it’s a highlight reel in the week of pong.”

Each week members of the I.S.I compete to secure a spot in the Iron Ten, a list of the weekly top ten ping pong play-

ers.

Because of the competition aspect, some I.S.I matches get intense. “It gets competitive, definitely, and it’s full of people who love to compete, but it’s also a really fun environment to be a part of,” says Corey Handwork (‘25).

Even if you aren’t a skilled ping pong player you can still have fun. Kylin Ayotte (‘25) says, “It’s super positive, but also really competitive, but there’s a good balance. If you’re not good at ping pong you’re still completely welcome to go and play with everyone.”

The I.S.I is more successful than Baver and Calato thought it would be, “Considering we had no preconceived notion of what it was going to become, I’d say it was very successful. We had multiple tournaments... and we had a large group of people playing, staff and student,” says Baver.

To help even the scale from silly to competitive, each member of the I.S.I is given a nickname that reflects their skill. For example, Baver’s nickname is “The Sherif” while Calato’s nickname is the “Boa”.

The first newsletter of the year was sent out this December addressed from The Sherif, inviting previously involved staff and students to the first meeting of the I.S.I. Since then, there has already been a tournament, The Iron Rust Off. This tournament established The Iron Ten to start the year.

Stay tuned for the next news letter from the Sherif.

1. Grayson Cox (‘27) a.k.a Toon Link

Cox is a “prodigy.” He’s undefeated in match play but has been defeated in regular play once or twice.

2. Eli Evans (‘27) a.k.a Chef

He adds a little bit of sauce to his game.

3. Jake Baver a.k.a The Sherif

It goes without saying he’s the law around town.

4. Cam Calato a.k.a The Boa

His defensive strategy slowly takes the life out of opponents and waits for them to make mistakes.

5. Corey Handwork (‘25) a.k.a The Flyin’ Tomato

He has lots of potential. Once had a two-hour straight battle with mantis that he never won but he didn’t give up.

6. Caleb Bromley (‘26) nickname undetermined.

He is somewhat of an unknown entity but is part of the Bromley legacy.

7. Nick Mancini a.k.a The Mantis “A humble man, who made great strides.”

8. Jon Bromley a.k.a Earth Bender

He bends Heaven and Earth with his forehand.

9. Steven Singer a.k.a T.N.T

An “absolute gamer”. Once A.C.D.C turns on it’s over.

10. Asa Turell (‘28) a.k.a Spades

He’s got some skill.

Zach Lewis: New Basketball Coach

The ORHS Boy’s Basketball team has a new coach hoping to lead them back to a state championship.

written by KAI NIELD

Oyster River High School (ORHS) boys’ basketball hasn’t been able to make it to a state championship since 2018, in which they lost to Hollis Brookline. With Lewis Atkins, the previous head coach, leaving the team ahead of the 2024 season, a new coach, Zach Lewis, will step forward to start this new era of Oyster River boys’ basketball.

Lewis, a former ORHS student, was an assistant coach at the varsity level while Lorne Lucas was the coach and then later would become the JV coach up until 2020. While Lewis was the assistant varsity coach for Oyster River, they made it to the state championship and had multiple deep playoffs runs in a row, however they always came up short. Being able to bring home a state championship is a huge part of Lewis’ motivation going into his first season.

The last time the Bobcats won the state championship was 1996. “It has been an itch that I cannot stop thinking about. Coming back and hanging a banner, I have been part of so

many programs and teams as a player and coach that have had high expectations and had mostly met them and it’s just that one hump we got to get over,” said Lewis.

After he left Oyster River in 2020, he would go on to be the lead assistant coach at Great Bay Community College for the men’s basketball team, which he coached for two seasons. After that he would become the athletic director and head basketball coach at Hampton Academy up until he got the Oyster River coaching job.

Before coaching Lewis was an ORHS student graduating in 2010. He played basketball for the team and found his love for Oyster River basketball. “I think that the community as a whole is a very passionate group of people and it is something that you absolutely have to admire and respect,” said Lewis. This passion has driven him to be the coach of Oyster River, something he has wanted for years.

Max Lewis, Zach’s younger brother, is the reserve coach

for the Oyster River basketball program. He was also a student and basketball player at ORHS. “I know this is something he’s been trying to do for 5-6 years at this point at Oyster River,” said Max Lewis. His love for the game of basketball and Oyster River is something that has stuck with him his whole life. “He really likes learning about the game

gram. “It’s a great legacy to be a part of the Lewis family coaching tree,” said Lewis.

The players think very highly of Lewis as a great communicator and a players’ coach. “He is always passionate about what he does, and I respect that,” said varsity player Will Clough (‘25). Not only is Lewis passionate about what he

“[Lewis]bringsalotofconnectiontotheplayers.”

-AndyLathrop

of basketball. He’s been around it his whole life... he reaches out to Loren Lucas, Lewis Atkins, and his former coaches to talk about basketball,” said Max Lewis.

ORHS athletic director Andy Lathrop recognizes Lewis’s passion as his main trait that’s made him stick out from other coaches. “He’s a basketball sponge; he’s always wanting to grow and learn more about the game of basketball,” said Lathrop.

The Lewis brothers being able to coach together adds more meaning for both of them. “To see him get this opportunity is really cool and the fact that I can be involved with it..., I’m the younger brother, but I’m still proud of him,” said Max Lewis.

While both Lewis brothers have coached at ORHS, their sister has also coached at ORHS for the girls’ basketball pro-

does, he passes that enthusiasm on to the rest of the team. “I think he brings a lot of connection to the players... He has the utmost confidence in each of his players,” said varsity player Brendan Kirby (‘25).

Being a players’ coach is a major strength for Lewis, and that stood out against other applicants. “He can relate to players and kind of what they’re going through, so that was something that really stood out to me,” said Lathrop. These strengths will play a part in leading the Bobcats back to the state championship.

“I think knowing the guys that we have, he’s kind of what the group needs right now,” said Lathrop. The Bobcats look to make Coach Lewis’ aspirations come true by bringing that championship banner home and ending the championship drought.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

What Offensive Player of the Year means for Rowynn Pickering and the rest of the Bobcat field hockey team.

written by OLIVIA ANDERSEN photos courtesy of KELLY ANDERSEN

HFHCA Offensive Player of the Year.

After starting her high school field hockey career as a defender at Oyster River High School (ORHS) and only having played two seasons on offense, the New Hampshire Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) has named Rowynn Pickering (‘26) Division 2 Offensive Player of the Year. One of the best parts of this award for the ORHS girls’ field hockey team is that Pickering still has another season left as an offensive threat for Oyster River.

This title represents a player’s dedication, hard work, confidence, skill, and many other factors that they add to their game to push themselves above and beyond the rest. Pickering stood out this season. Her talent has shined through the uncertainty of those who doubted her, but Pickering has always been a standout player.

From the start of her field hockey career anyone watching could see she had a talent for the game. Pickering first picked up a stick when she was eleven years old and hasn’t looked back since. She could take the ball from her defensive twenty-five-yard line all the way down the field and into the opposing team’s net. Her knack for making defensive stops and turning them into offensive opportunities transitioned into her high school career where, funny enough, she started out as a defender.

The field hockey program at Oyster River has faced some struggles in past years, with not having enough skilled players for a successful season. But when Anne Golding became head coach in 2017 her goal was to change it.

During Pickering’s freshman year in 2022, Oyster River was almost in a place where they had fully rebuilt their program. That year, the field hockey team finished just below the middle of the pack with seven wins, one tie, and seven losses.

When her sophomore year rolled around, it was finally Pickering’s time to shine. New varsity members of the team took on the defense position and gave Pickering her opportunity to join the forward line.

“I moved to forward, and I feel like I just clicked,” says Pickering. The field hockey team had its most successful season in recent years going twelve and four, and throughout those sixteen games Pickering was able to net fourteen goals.

As Pickering entered the 2024 season, she had a feeling this would be her year. When her coach asked her about her personal goals for the season, Pickering said “Making All-State first team and then hopefully getting Offensive Player of the Year.”

During her first high school season, Pickering made varsity alongside three other freshmen, but she wasn’t put in a position where she could contribute the most. “My freshman year I started on defense, which I had never played before. I hated it,” says Pickering. “Freshman year wasn’t my favorite year. I didn’t like my position, and I didn’t feel like [the team] had a good flow.”

Even though Pickering was committed to win this award, she still had people doubting her. When the projected All-State list came out at the beginning of the season, Sadie McLeod (‘26) remembers it giving Pickering a new motivation, “I remember Ori, [from Souhegan] was projected to be offensive player of the year. Rowynn made it her goal to prove those who doubted her wrong.”

Prove them wrong is what she did. Throughout her junior season, both Rowynn and the team strived for their first championship since 1979.

The team faced the season with a one game at a time mindset, winning nine in a row before eventually losing to

Hollis-Brookline in overtime. However, this loss didn’t faze them. They won every regular season game that followed. Throughout these games Pickering was a key player for the Bobcats.

Fellow teammate Nora Rogers (‘26) explains that Pickering really stood out this year. “She deserved Offensive Player of the Year... I think that over anyone I’ve seen out of teams we played she was a standout.”

Pickering and the rest of the Bobcats’ season came to an unfortunate end when they lost in the second round of playoffs 1-0 to a strong Hanover team. Pickering finished this season with an impressive 17 goals.

As the regular season came to an end, it was time for the New Hampshire Field Hockey Coaches Association (NHFHCA) to decide on the All-State teams and end of season awards. ORFH Goalie Coach Kate Heaney discussed the process for winning this

other coaches,” says Heaney.

Rose Goldsmith (‘25) says that there are a lot of factors that contributed to Rowynn winning this award, “Everyone notices the presence she has on the field. She does a good job of taking control of the game and forces her teammates and opponents to play at her pace.”

The team is proud to call Pickering one of their own. Rogers says, “I think she deserves to be recognized for all the hard work she’s done and all the effort she’s put into practices and the team.”

And even though this award is specific to Pickering’s success, she couldn’t have reached this goal without the help of her team. “It’s a nice piece of recognition for the whole team even though it’s an individual award, because a lot of goals come with assists,” says Heaney.

Pickering herself agrees that she had a lot of help from her teammates this season. She says, “Our team is so strong.

“[Pickering]deservedOffensivePlayeroftheYear... I think that over anyone I’ve seen out of teams we played,shewasastandout.” -NoraRogers(‘26)

award, “So a player is not eligible for this award unless their coach nominates them,” Heaney explains, “Then it’s up to the opinions of the other coaches. Your coach can vouch for you but you need to be voted on by the other coaches from the state.”

Oyster River had great representation in all three All-State teams with three Bobcats (including Pickering) making First Team, one making Second Team, and two recognized with the title of honorable mention. With these teams also came the release of individual awards. With all of her hard work this past season, Pickering reached her goal of Offensive Player of the Year. Getting this award is such a great achievement for Pickering. “It’s a little bit of self-validation, but it’s also recognition from your opponents that not only do I see myself this way but so do other teams and

I have really good players behind me and with me on the forward line. I feel like everyone played a huge part, especially being with such a strong defense and midfield. I didn’t have to do everything to help the team because everyone was doing their job.”

With Pickering and four other AllState players returning for the Bobcats next season, they are looking to yet again be a threat. Heaney says, “This recognition helps us bring attention into the next season to be one of the teams to watch.”

Despite only playing two years on offense, Pickering has 65 points (assists and goals), and she patiently waits for a chance to knock on the door of the 100-point club next season and potentially get Offensive Player of the Year for the second year in a row.

filmed by SADIE GOLDBERG

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