The Rivers Edge - Spring 2022

THE RIVERS EDGE Vol. LII, Number 3

The Rivers School, Weston, MA

March 4, 2022

Middle School settles in to newly renovated Lewis Building space The Lewis building, formally the Allen Science Building, has a brand new look, and it is beautiful. The $ million renovations began in August and finished over winter break, allowing the Middle School science and humanities programs to start using the state-of-the-art classrooms in early January.

Since the founding of the new Rivers campus in 1960, the campus has changed significantly. The original plan was to have four buildings around a quad; however, the school only had the funds for two buildings and part of a gym. In 1963, the Allen Building was added to the campus as the third building in honor of the second headmaster Clarence Allen. The new addition was a big deal at the time, for the then headmaster, George Blackwell, made sure the building had the most up-to-date science labs and equipment. Haynes Hall was later added to the quad but referred to as “The Fourth” until it later received its name.

According to school historian and archivist Dave Burzillo, as of 1960, Rivers lacked a dedicated lunchroom and would roll tables and chairs onto the gym floor before the students would eat lunch. To address this, Allen was built with science class-

rooms on the upper floor and a cafeteria in the basement. The addition of the Allen building also brought new cooking facilities that greatly improved the quality of lunch. It wasn’t until the Berwind Building, built in 1986, that Rivers could move its lunchroom out from the lower level. The Berwind Building, which offered a large kitchen, dining room and auditorium, was torn down in 2011 to make room for the Campus Center. This construction led to the eventual remodel of the Allen Building in 1999. The building was renamed in honor of the Lewis family, who funded the renovations. This renovation updated the science labs and turned the lower level into classrooms for the middle school. Up until last year, the Lewis building was used both by upper and middle school students, allowing students of all ages to mingle.

Now, Lewis has been renovated for the second time, opening up the building to a new era of middle school education. With the addition of the Revers Center for Science and Visual Arts, the Upper School science department vacated the building, allowing Lewis to be dedicated solely to the Middle School.. The upstairs now houses bright and open science classrooms, a big common area, and the office for Head of Middle School John Bower, Continued on page 3

BY DANA LOWITT ’23 ASSISTANT EDITOR

Head of School Ned Parsons announced he will step down at the end of the 2022-23 school year. Seen here at the FutureMakers celebration in October, Parsons leaves a long list of accomplishemnts. J. Hurley

Head of School Ned Parsons to depart at end of next school year

BY AMANDA GARY ’22 CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

On January 21st, Head of School Ned Parsons, the eighth person to hold the position at Rivers, announced that he will be stepping down at the end of the 2022-2023 academic year.

Parsons has spent eight years as Head of School at Rivers after arriving in 2014 and is hoping to make the most of his ninth and final year in his position.

In the announcement of Parsons’ departure, the President of the Board of Trustees, Harley Lank, wrote, “After a great deal of consideration and thoughtful discussion, the Board concurs

with Ned that we have reached a natural inflection point, both for him and for Rivers. We remain deeply grateful to Ned for his unwavering loyalty to the school and its mission, and we thank him for his eight years of commitment to all Rivers students, parents, and alumni.”

In his adjacent announcement, Parsons also remarked, “It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the Rivers community for the past eight years. I am exceptionally proud of the students, alumni, faculty, staff, and administration at Rivers.”

Before Rivers, Parsons held the roles of Dean of Faculty, English teacher, and coach at The

Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, Connecticut. “I was drawn to Rivers because of its emphasis on relationships, on academic rigor combined with a deep understanding of each student, on innovation and creativity in the classroom—in short, because of Excellence with Humanity,” Parsons said. Parsons joined Rivers in the midst of its NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Colleges) re-accreditation and strategic planning process.

At Rivers, Parson’s impact has been tremendous. Every day, he strived to better the community, from guiding the Campus Master Planning Process to launching Continued on page 7

than older people. A 2015 study found that teenagers may spend up to 9 hours on social media per day.

However, as social media use has increased, the mental health of teenagers has decreased.

While social media certainly has many positive aspects, such as connecting like-minded people via the internet and spreading awareness and education about essential topics, its detrimental impact on mental health may make the bad outweigh the good. A 2017 study found that teenagers who use social media for more than two hours per day are more likely to consider their mental health poor.

The negative effects of social media on mental health are mainly

due to its addictive nature. Like any addictive substance, such as heroin, meth, and alcohol, social media consumption causes the release of dopamine in the brain.

Dopamine, the “feel-good” chemical, is strongly associated with anxiety and depression and is the main chemical involved in addiction.

People post content on social media with the hope of receiving positive feedback, which in turn adds to the addictive nature of social media. One study showed the brain activity changes with likes; participants exhibited more brain activity when shown images with more likes. When participants’ own photos received likes, the

brain’s reward system was activated.

The fact that social media is so readily accessible adds an additional layer of harmful potential to its addictiveness. In a Q&A about her book Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence, Stanford psychiatrist Anna Lembke emphasized the connection between social media and drugs like heroin: “The smartphone is the modern-day hypodermic needle.”

The brain releases dopamine upon human connection, which, thanks to social media, can be accessed at any time in endless quantities. It is easy to over-consume human connection through social

media, and, similar to the effect of heroin or meth, large amounts of dopamine are released at one time.

Upon signing off social media, the brain can go into a dopamine deficit, which is why social media feels so good when consumed and so terrible when put down.

While extremely important and damaging, all of these scientific impacts are not evident in people’s immediate reactions to the harmful effects of social media. Social media’s more direct and commonly acknowledged side effects include anxiety, depression, disrupted sleep, and FOMO (fear of missing out).

Nowadays, people often priContinued on page 2

Rivers’ newest English teacher Evan Massey is already making an impact on his students.

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Fun-filled Mamma Mia! delights audiences!

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After strong seasons, boys’ and girls’ hockey and boys’ basketball hope to capture NEPSAC titles.

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Senior Co-Captain Max Poulton helps to lead boys’ basketball to 19-5 record and into the post-season.

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Instagram, social media damaging teens’ sense of worth

BY HANNAH LAPIDES ’22 CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Over the past two decades, social media has taken over the lives of the majority of individuals around the world. Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube…the list goes on and on.

In the early 2000s, MySpace led the way as the first social media site to reach one million monthly users, and after that, the social media phenomenon took off. In 2005, less than 10% of American adults reported using at least some type of social media, and as of 2021, that percentage had risen to 72%. Naturally, younger people are more likely to use social media

I N S I D E

NEWS

Some schools’ moves to ban books has shocked many educators.

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FEATURES

ARTS

SPORTS

SPORTS

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March 4, 2022

News

Spike in teen mental health issues linked to social media Continued from page 1 oritize social media networking over physical interaction, which can heighten feelings of anxiety.

The constant comparison between oneself and seemingly perfect people online can be highly damaging to one’s self-image and feeling of self-worth. The brain is not equipped for such comparison, and when it becomes too much to handle, it is easy to slip into depression, or what neuroscientists call “learned helplessness.” Social media presents a distorted view of reality, though; flaws are easily masked with filters and editing tools, and comparisons are based on false images. With advancing technology, everything is a Google search away. Whereas it used to be that images of celebrities were the only ones manipulated by photoshop, now, everyone can appear “perfect” and present themselves in a positive light all the time. “[Instagram] allows people to post a highlight reel and avoid showing anything negative going on,” explained Kara Johnson ’22.

While social media impacts people of all gender identities, there is a notion that girls tend to have more adverse experiences with it. According to Pew Research Center, 50% of teenage girls are near-constant internet users, compared to only 39% of teenage boys. Studies have shown that eating disorders, de-

“I honestly think that people posting every time they are with friends can lead to some form of FOMO if you aren’t invited,” Johnson explained.

“Additionally, seeing people that Smart phones, social media damaging mental health. sire for cosmetic surgery, and sui- you may not even know do fun cidal thoughts are strongly linked things seemingly all the time can to social media use. Suicide is definitely lead to general FOMO.” the fourth leading cause of death Another anonymous Rivers among 15-19 year olds, and social student described the powerfuyl media plays a significant role in feeling of FOMO: “Sometimes it that statistic. A study from 2021 can be addicting and you want to found that girls who used social delete it all, but then you would media for at least two hours per feel left out on life because everyday as teenagers were more at risk one communicates through social of suicide as adults. media now.”

Johnson remarked, “I don’t Rivers students have felt the think that social media impacts impact of social media on their girls a ton more. However, I feel mental health. A school-wide suras though we pay more attention vey which received 69 responses to how females are impacted by showed that the most-used social social media, meaning there is less media platforms are Instagram, research on men and social me- TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube. dia.”

When asked how much they feel Perhaps one of the most wide- an impact from social media on spread impacts of social media their mental health on a scale from is FOMO, leading to feelings of 1 to 5, the majority of respondloneliness and isolation. ers answered 4. Similarly, when

asked if the effect of social media is negative, positive, or both, most people responded “both” with “negative” a close second.

The survey results also reflected the nuances of the impact of social media on mental health depending on gender identity and age. While the majority of both male- and female-identifying students reported that social media affects them both positively and negatively, “negative” outweighs “positive” for female-identifying students and vice versa for maleidentifying students.

The data did not show much of a discrepancy between middle school and upper school responses. However, social media may affect people differently at different ages.

“In middle school and early into high school, social media basically controlled my life and emotions. If I wasn’t being productive or hanging out with friends every weekend like the girls on my Instagram or YouTube feed, I felt like a failure,” Johnson said. “However, I have recently become more okay with who I am and how I live my life. The people I follow on instagram influence how I feel about myself less and less.”

Despite some variations, students’ descriptions of how social media affects their mental health stayed primarily consistent with current research. “If I specifically

look for positive content, I’ll get that and feel good,” explained one anonymous sophomore. “But if I get content of women with perfect bodies or influencers who have their lives together, I feel badly about myself and my body, and it makes me feel like I’m not doing enough or am not enough.”

An anonymous senior remarked, “I like the idea of how you can be connected with your friends at any time. However, sometimes I question myself on if I should post certain things or not because of what others might think.”

It is clear that there is a problem with how social media impacts teenagers’ mental health, but there are ways to cope with and mitigate some of the negativity. Johnson emphasized limiting time on social media and avoiding comparison.

Lembke, the Stanford psychiatrist, also recommended taking a “timeout” from social media. “A whole month is typically the minimum amount of time we need away from our drug of choice, whether it’s heroin or Instagram, to reset our dopamine reward pathways,” she remarked.

Added a junior: “Honestly, [social media] can be dangerous.”

The preservation of good mental health has become increasingly more difficult due to the overwhelming presence of social media.

not new. The anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin published in 1852 by Harriet Beecher Stowe is often considered the first major book in the U.S. to be banned.

The American South banned this novel because it sparked much debate over slavery and spread an abolitionist agenda, and some historians even believe that it ultimately helped to catalyze the Civil War. Censorship is also carried out through legislation, starting with the Comstock Act of 1873 which prohibited the mailing of “obscene, immoral, or indecent” publications and marked the possession of an “obscene” book, picture, or advertisement as a misdemeanor. This law is an early example of how the ambiguous nature of “obscenity” is held at the crux of the arguments for banning books. Today, the same controversy over censorship is inherent because the reasoning for challenging literature remains unclear and subjective.

Further, recent politics have played a large role in the culture of banning books. Ronald Reagan’s 1980 presidential election reinforced censorship, and the number of books being challenged rose dramatically, up to hundreds of challenges per year.

In response to the surge of banned books during the Reagan administration, First Amendment rights and library activists came together to raise awareness of the det-

political. Certain organizations and individuals, namely conservatives, are introducing book challenges into law enforcement and campaigns. Some have gone so far as to file criminal complaints, lawsuits, and investigations against certain books.

Though criminal charges have failed and courts have largely ruled against banning, these challenges are gaining momentum and media presence.

Some proponents of banning certain books leverage parental rights to argue that parents should exercise their freedom to choose how they raise their children, and by association, what content their kids consume. In contrast, opponents reason that banning books violates the rights of parents by restricting the education their children receive. Prohibiting literature that deals with complex and nuanced issues encourages narrow perspectives of the broader world and makes it difficult for students to engage in challenging, yet necessary, discussions. “The best literature is the literature that promotes confusion, discussion, and debate, that makes us feel some discomfort, that makes us question what we thought we knew,” says Jacoby.

Additionally, book challenges are not solely stemming from political conservatives. Recognizable titles such as Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper

Lee have been continually challenged for how they address race, rely on white saviors, and use many racial slurs.

Book banning also sparked another question of how consuming violent or sexual content correlates to the reader’s behavior. For example, does violent literature cause readers to become violent?

Luckily, researchers agree that literature has a marginal impact on readers’ tendencies.

The power dynamics between students and administrators add another shade of complexity to this issue. Powerful legislators, administrators, parents, and officials decide to challenge and ultimately ban books, yet it is the students’ education that the censorship is impacting. In response, student-led protests against book banning are occurring across the country. “As a teacher, I want my students to question and to become critical thinkers,” Jacoby said. “I want them to learn about other identities but also recognize themselves on the page, realizing they are not so ‘different’ after all, that we are all human and to be human is complicated.”

Added DeVore, “I think it’s important to mention that in the 19 years I’ve been a librarian at Rivers, we have not had a challenge to any book within our collection and our collection does indeed include most of the titles on the current most-challenged list.”

Move to ban books in some US schools alarms educators

BY ABBY MATSUYASU ’23 ASSISTANT EDITOR

At Rivers, it is not uncommon to find a worn copy of Beloved by Toni Morrison lying on a table in Haynes Hall or a crisp edition of God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy being cracked open on the turf. Though these images do not seem out of the ordinary, these scenarios are prohibited on many campuses all around the United States.

“I was horrified that these literary masterpieces that I loved so much were being kept from young minds,” said Rivers English teacher Jennie Jacoby. “Ideally, my students will come away from having read and digested [these books] with a more open mind and a larger heart and essentially more equipped to cope with a world that is certainly confusing and messy at times.”

To begin, the distinction between banning and challenging a book is integral to understanding censorship in the U.S. The American Library Association dictates, “A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A ban is the removal of those materials.” Though censorship by the government is unconstitutional, books may be banned by private groups or institutions.

Though America is experiencing a recent surge in banned or challenged books, this practice is

rimental effects of censorship by launching Banned Books Week.

This week of awareness, recently held from Sept. 26 to Oct. 2, 2021, celebrates the right to access literature and information while also demanding accountability to fight book banning.

Today, parents, activists, school board officials, and lawmakers are challenging books at a similar pace to that of the 1980s.

Among the books on the most challenged list, common themes include race, gender, and sexuality. “Traditionally, it’s often been about material a group or individual think about as too sexually explicit, profane, or violent,” stated Rivers Librarian Diane DeVore. “You’ll see there are also more challenges around topics a group of individuals characterizes as ‘too divisive’ or ‘promoting’ a particular political viewpoint.”

“We have a little display up in the library about the recent banning in Tennessee of the awardwinning graphic novel book about the Holocaust, Maus,” said DeVore. “In this case, individuals raised concerns about the book and its use of ‘profanity’ and an image of nudity. The school board voted to remove the book.

Nationally, the impact was that sales of the book, which was first published in 1980, skyrocketed and the book probably gained a larger readership.”

Banning and challenging books have become increasingly

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News

Renovated Lewis becomes new hub for Middle School Continued from page 1 while the downstairs houses Middle School humanities classrooms as well as a room dedicated for maker’s space. The big common room looks over the Nonesuch Pond and facilitates full-grade homerooms for middle schoolers.

Off to the left side of the building is a balcony that gives great views of the surrounding landscape.

When you first walk into the building, you can sense the rich mix of traditional and new possibilities. The previous science rooms and the small hallways connecting them have been stripped away to create a new light and airy common room. Similar to the upper common area in Haynes, small tables adorn parts of the room, and big windows open up the space to the beautiful views of Nonesuch Pond.

“Historically, the Prince Building has been the ‘hub’ of the middle school,” said Mr. Bower, Head of the Middle School. “It’s where students have always checked in in the mornings with Ms. Righter, dropped off their phones, congregated during breaks and free time, etc.

When brainstorming ideas for the renovations, we considered what it would be like to shift things around a bit and make Lewis the hub, and thus far, it has worked remarkably well.”

And Middle School students seem to agree.

“The common area is my favorite part because it is a really good place to hang out with my friends,” said Nick Palazzolo ’27.

To the right of the common room are stairs that lead down to the lower classrooms. The three science classrooms upstairs reflect the new and shiny Revers classrooms that the Upper School has come to love. One of the biggest changes between the new and old Middle School science classrooms is their size: the new classrooms have double the amount of space for middle schoolers to complete work and experiment with labs.

“The learning space is much more organized and neat so you can really focus on what you are learning,” said Palazzolo.

The Middle School advisories have also moved into the new building, allowing more space to interact.

Middle School Dean of Students and science teacher Sarah Freeman is very pleased with the finished product of the new Lewis Center, something she and other faculty members had a hand in. “We got to design [the classrooms],” noted Freeman. The teachers had direct input into where “[they] want the whiteboards, projectors, sinks, dishwashers.” This direct input allowed teachers to design classrooms that reflect the needs of their students and programs.

One example of this input resulted in multiple whiteboards in every classroom which allow students to move around during class instead of remaining sedentary at desks the entire period. This approach to engaging the students also facilitates collaboration be-

tween students while they work.

“For the first time, we have separate teaching and lab space as well as more storage,” said Freeman. This separation allows teachers to set up more complicated labs that use a larger proportion of actual class time because students and teachers no longer need to rearrange the classroom prior to starting their lab work.

For example, the sixth graders created models of the Earth based on different materials. “Having enough space in the classroom to do that and to have all the supplies in there…I feel like that has been something we’ve seen come out of the renovated spaces,” Freeman said.

After spending time in the Lewis Building, it is apparent that the new space affords middle school students the opportunity to

develop skills to meet the problems of tomorrow. Central to this ability is the building’s focus solely on middle school students.

The new space lets middle school students gain confidence in their work by having the feeling “of being the big kids,” as it can be hard to be confident in yourself when there are kids twice your height walking around. In Lewis, middle schoolers have the ability to express their creativity in a building that includes all of the beautiful high-tech labs and details found in Revers. The updated science labs and equipment allow middle schoolers to do experiments that are more of the caliber that is seen in the upper school, and they allow these students to find new passions among the sciences.

Moreover, the increase in available classroom space allows

teachers to become more creative with their classroom designs. The sleek new building reflects the changes made in Prince last summer, as well as the new Revers building and possibly the renovations that will be occurring in Haynes Hall this spring and summer. Finally, the Middle School community encourages upperclassmen to be involved in the middle school. Students can tutor middle schoolers, help as teaching assistants in middle school classes, or simply stop by to say hello.

The renovated Lewis Center is a worthy and much needed addition to the Rivers campus and furthers the school’s dedication to providing the best possible facilities to serve its students and programs.

of chaos and never-ending change.

But as soon as this period of normalcy began, it ended.

As the community headed off to winter break to enjoy the holiday season and much-needed time off, the Omicron variant of Covid-19 began making a major impact on the United States and the rest of the world. It seemed as though everybody we knew had Covid or was impacted by it in one way or another. And a lot of the chaos came from the uncertainty and lack of knowledge about the new variant.

Omicron is scientifically known as a variant called B.1.1.529 of SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19). The first case of Omicron was discovered by scientists in South Africa in late November and reported to the World Health Organization (WHO). Reports of other Omicron cases began being reported shortly after, and the United States discovered its first case of Omicron at the beginning of December from a patient in California who had recently traveled to South Africa.

WHO declared it as a “variant of concern.” The last time a variant was put into this category was the Delta variant that emerged over a year ago. President Biden even extended the national emergency set

into place almost two years ago in March 2020.

Beginning in December, Omicron-specific diagnoses and deaths began rising exponentially, and scientists saw a huge spike in the charts during this time. The United States saw the peak of Omicron’s impact on Jan. 10 when there were almost 1.5 million new cases of Covid-19 reported in the United States alone in a single day. At the peak in January, reported cases were up 320% compared to last winter’s surge of the Delta variant.

Additionally, hospitalization rates were up 112%, and deaths were tragically up by 58%.

So how come Omicron has proved to be the most detrimental variant of Covid-19 thus far? Well, there are a lot of unique characteristics about the make-up of Omicron that have differed from other variants, therefore making Omicron impactful.

Omicron contains around 50 different mutations of itself, allowing an increased risk for infection and transmission in both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals.

Additionally, about 30 of those mutations involve changes in the spike protein, and the spike protein is the component that attacks antibodies in the human body. So

the alterations in the spike protein allow it to possibly avoid antibodies - either from the vaccine or previous infections - that fight off Covid.

The effects of Omicron have been extremely noticeable through the changes and policies on the Rivers campus. A new mask mandate was put into place beginning after winter break, and assemblies went virtual for quite some time in order to maintain social distancing. Students and teachers were absent and had to attend class via Google Meet.

“When consulting with the school’s medical experts, the projection at the time was that the state was in for a rough 4-6 weeks where case rates were expected to rise significantly and then drop as quickly as they rose,” said Director of Operations Tom Bourdeau.

“The school felt that in order to meet the goal and philosophy of maintaining in-person learning in the safest manner possible, we should bring back those two mitigation measures of testing the entire community and masking.”

The discussion around mental health has also become more prominent with the rise in Omicron. “There has been a big shift in mental health as students have to

worry about the stressors of Covid on top of school, homework, and afterschool activities, and it seems that there has been an increase in homework load,” said Active Minds leader Natalia Ramos ‘22.

It is clear that over the past two months, Omicron has affected students and staff immensely. But recently, the Rivers community has been moving in a positive direction as Omicron cases began falling in Massachusetts almost as fast as they had risen. Obviously, the mask-optional rule for fully vaccinated community members that was put into effect towards the end of February proves to be the most impactful change.

“We decided to return to a mask optional policy based upon internal data, state case rates, and in conjunction with our medical professionals,” said Bourdeau.

For a while now, cases within the Rivers community have been extremely low, allowing Rivers to go mask-optional for a majority of on-campus settings. And not having to wear masks significantly boosts the morale and setting on campus as well.

“The school has always felt that the overall educational experience is significantly better without masks,” Bourdeau said.

The new common space is a particular highlight of the Lewis Center renovations. Photo by A. Gary’22.

School weathers Omicron surge, eyes return to normalcy

BY NATALIE KLOMAN ’23 ASSISTANT EDITOR

Just a few months ago, it seemed as though life had returned completely back to normal. Masks had become optional in most oncampus settings, Zoom classes were a thing of the past, and students could fully enjoy their Rivers experience without Covid limitations.

Rivers’ “Return to Normal” protocols put in place back in November showed signs of a return towards normalcy for the first time in a year and a half.

The impact of this new set of relaxed rules proved to be tremendous for the community as the Covid-related worries began to decrease. Students and faculty could communicate with one another better, everyone could see each other’s smiling faces, and advisory munchkins were devoured at a much faster pace without the limitations of masks. Attendance at various school-wide events, such as sports games and performances, rose, while stress and anxiety in students’ mental health saw a decrease. This campus vibe made the school year seem quite ordinary which was a much welcomed-change after a long period

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The Rivers Edge

March 4, 2022

EDITORIAL

To help save our planet stop wasting food The sixth graders couldn’t have said it better or more poetically. Rivers, we need to stop wasting food!

Here’s some “food” for thought: Around one third of all food - 1.3 billion tons ! - goes to waste globally every day, and the United States wastes more than any other country with 40 million tons of food waste every year. An alarming number especially given the fact that an estimated 35 million Americans struggled with food insecurity, and that was before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Wasted food takes up more space in landfills than anything else. More than 80% of Americans discard food that is safe and good to eat because they misunderstand expiration labels. If less food is wasted, more food can go toward helping people who don’t have steady access to food, and the Earth won’t be hurt by the greenhouse gas, methane, that wasted food produces when it rots. About 6-8% of greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced if food was not wasted. When food is thrown out, all of the hard work, energy, and water that plants need to grow and food needs to be processed and packaged is being wasted.

Agriculture uses 70% of water throughout the world.

To stop wasting food, here are some simple recommendations all of us can do to make a difference: In the lunchline, take what you know you are going to eat as you can always come back to get more if you are still hungry.

In grocery stores, buy more frozen food as frozen food lasts longer and can be just as beneficial and healthy as fresh foods.

At home, try to utilize leftovers. Find recipes with ingredients that you already have at home.

Try to reuse and recycle food that you do not want. At home composting is a great way to recycle food. If you don’t want to compost yourself, there are many companies that will do it for you.

Educate yourself and others about food waste. Think critically about your environmental impact!

There is a lot of discouraging news about the health of our planet, from climate change to plastic pollution in our oceans to vanishing species. But never underestimate the power we all have as individuals. Every little bit helps.

We all should heed the advice of one of our sixth graders: “To prepare the food that is on your plate, / requires resources, time, and Earth’s love to create!… Remember there’s always more you can do, to take care of the Earth and other people, too!”

This Day in History March 4 1678 1789 1837 1933 1982

EVENTS

Composer Antonio Vivaldi was born US Constitution is put into effect Chicago was incorporated as a city Inauguration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt Bertha Wilson became the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada

BIRTHDAYS Olympic Gymnast Simone Biles (1997) Schitts Creek actress Catherine O’Hara (1954) NBA Star Draymond Green (1990) March 4 is National Grammar Day!

Opinions & Editorials

The roots of “Vogueing” movement

BY WALT REGAN-LOOMIS ’22 CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Queer culture has been active through saloons, cabarets, speakeasies, rent parties, and drag balls that have existed since the late 1800s as spaces where LGBTQ identities were not only visible but openly celebrated.

These places changed shape and form over the decades until they exploded during the Harlem Renaissance thanks to a distinctly influential black queer culture that gave shape to the early introduction of the futility of gender and sexuality to queer theory and a bigger spotlight. This period gave way to some of the most influential queer activism and figures who were openly non-straight.

Richard Bruce Nugent, a writer, painter, illustrator, and dancer, in particular, led a queer movement of unabashed sexuality, saying, “You see, I am a homosexual. I have never been in what they call ‘the closet’. It has never occurred to me that [my sexuality] was anything to be ashamed of, and it never occurred to me that it was anybody’s business but mine.”

Nugent’s pride in his sexuality helped establish a new excitement in expression in the black queer community (later moving into queer culture as a whole).

One of the many thriving areas for queer expression was New York, specifically and famously Harlem. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, drag competitions known as “Balls,” slowly evolved

into more elaborate Vogue battles.

The predominantly Black and Latino scene competed in “Houses” for trophies and titles. The name came from the famous fashion magazine Vogue, along with Egyptian and a plethora of other sources, intense posing and angles that became the inspiration for the movements, dances, and exaggerated movements used in Vogueing. Dancing was used as a form of gender expression and often incorporated actions and symbols for gender expression. Tsione Wolde-Michael, the Writer/Editor for the Office of Curatorial Affairs for The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, writes that “with time, vogue changed from the “Old Way” (which emphasized hard angles and straight lines) to the “New Way” in the late 1980s (which added elements like the catwalk, the duckwalk, spinning, bussey and enhanced hand performance).

Today, New Way is characterized by more rigid movements and “clicks” or joint contortions.

Vogue Fem uses similar “New Way” elements but focuses on speed, flow, and stunts. Regardless of the style, voguing shows the courage of black and Latino LGBTQ communities to make an art form that goes beyond creative expression. Vogue offers a sense of identity, belonging, and dignity in a world that does not fully value their lives.” However, Vogueing could never have evolved to such an extent without Willi Ninja, The

Editors-in-Chief

The Rivers Edge

Grandfather of Vogueing. Willi grew up in Queens in the 60s, first dancing at the age of seven. By the early 1980s, he had already started his vogueing career mostly in Washington Square Park and in drag balls throughout Harlem. In 1990, Willi brought vogueing to the big screen and an entirely new social light in “Paris is Burning,” an award-winning documentary about the ball culture of New York and the communities involved in it. Sally Sommer, a professor of dance at Florida State University, sums up Willi’s impact best through her words, “Vogueing had been around for years, but Willi Ninja brought it to a level of visibility and perfection in performance that no one had ever reached before.”

Over the past months, vogueing has seen a period of explosive growth, the biggest since before Willi’s death in 2006.

This increase is partially thanks to TikTok’s ability to bring communities together. #vogueing and #vogue together have 8.3 billion views and many accounts dedicated to the dance have millions of followers. Highlights of yearly balls often get millions of views with many reaching tens and hundreds of millions of views.

Thanks to vogueing’s flawless integration into TikTok and the legacy of Willi Ninja and other black and queer icons, the dance and its surrounding community have to reach entirely new heights of publicity and respect than ever before.

Amanda Gary’22 Hannah Lapides ’22 Associate Editors Sophie DuBard ’22 Sam Lyons ’22 Abby Sikorski ’22 Elena Zuvekas ’22 Assistant Editors Sebastian Connelly ’22 Cristina Gomez ’23 Charlie Foley ’22 Natalie Kloman ’23 Dana Lowitt ’23 Abby Matsuyasu ’23 Ava Palazzolo ’23 Copy Editing Lucy Kapples Faculty Advisor Alex Stephens Assistant Faculty Advisor Theresa Oberst Contributing Writers: Andrew Correia ’23, Sarah DuBard ’25, Spencer Gary ’25, Jason Glick ’24, Skylar Holmes ’23, Elizabeth Lapides ’25, Walt Regan-Loomis ’22, Finn McCusker ’22, Megan Sweatt ’24 Photography: John Hurley, Amanda Gary ’22, Harrison Carswell ’24, Ewen Robertson ’25, T Foley’25 THE RIVERS EDGE is published by the students of The Rivers School. THE EDGE is a forum for the ideas, issues and concerns of the student body. Letters and contributions from the entire Rivers community - students, faculty, staff, parents, and alumni - are welcomed and encouraged. Unsigned letters will not be published, but names will be withheld upon request. Please send letters to The Editors, THE RIVERS EDGE, The Rivers School, 333 Winter Street, Weston, MA 02493.

March 4, 2022

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The Rivers Edge

Opinions

What Breyer’s retirement means for the Supreme Court

BY ELENA ZUVEKAS ’22 ASSOCIATE EDITOR

On January 26, 2022, media outlets reported Justice Steven G. Breyer’s intention to retire from the United States Supreme Court at the end of the 2021–2022 term.

This vacancy provides current President Joe Biden with the opportunity to fulfill his campaign promise of nominating a black woman to a lifetime position on the nation’s highest court.

At the age of 83, Breyer is the oldest member of the Supreme Court, with nearly three decades of service on the bench. He came to the court in 1994 after being appointed by President Bill Clinton. “His brilliance, his values, his scholarship, is why Breyer became Justice Breyer by an overwhelming bipartisan vote at the time,” President Joe Biden remarked after Breyer announced his plans. He applauded Breyer’s “intellect, hard work, and legal insight”—essential qualities in a successful justice.

Breyer has a packed resume, managing to serve in the army and work in all three branches of the federal government before reaching the age of 40. In addition to his 28 years on the Supreme Court, he has spent his years as a law clerk, a prosecutor in the Department of Justice, and a justice on the US Court of Appeals.

During his time on the Supreme Court, Breyer has addressed many controversial issues ranging from reproductive

rights, healthcare, voting rights, patent law, healthcare, and environmental laws. One of Breyer’s notable actions occurred in 2000 (Stenberg v. Carhart). Breyer wrote the court’s opinion protecting a women’s right to choose by striking down a state law that banned late-term abortions. “All those who perform abortion procedures using that method must fear prosecution, conviction, and imprisonment…The result is an undue burden upon a woman’s right to make an abortion decision,” he wrote.

Despite Breyer’s claim that it is misleading to label justices with political IDs, he consistently votes as one of the court’s moderate-to-liberal members, voting alongside liberal Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. In terms of his constitutional views, he believes that it is vital to interpret the constitution practically, meaning that interpretations of the constitution change depending on different people in different eras. More conservativeleaning justices disagree with this perspective, arguing that the founders’ intent must always guide the court.

There is currently a 6-3 conservative majority in the court. In part, this is a result of the Senate confirming three nominees of former President Donald Trump.

Most recently, Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s passing presented Trump with the opportunity to appoint her successor, Amy Coney Barrett. This appointment pushed the court even farther to

the right. Many progressives have pushed Breyer to retire while Democrats control the Senate and are satisfied with his decision.

Eager to maintain at least three liberal seats and the current 6-3 split between conservative and liberal justices, Democrats hope Biden’s appointment will keep a liberal seat on the court, impacting crucial rulings throughout the next generation.

One issue surrounding the Supreme Court is the fact that the nine justices do not accurately represent the United States’ population. In terms of gender, race, religion, and critical policy issues, the court looks very different from the populations that it represents. Although Breyer is a heterosexual, white, Jewish male, he claims that he recognizes this reality. He has worked hard to ensure that “the law must work for the people,” always considering how the law will practically impact people in the real world.

“This is a complicated country. There are more than 330 million people and my mother used to say it’s every race, it’s every religion — and she would emphasize this — and it’s every point of view possible,” Breyer said after announcing his retirement. “And it’s a kind of a miracle when you sit there and see all those people in front of you, people that are so different in what they think. And yet they’ve decided to help solve their major differences under law.”

In terms of the following steps for Biden and the nomination

process, he has revealed that he will announce his nominee this week. He claimed that he will “select a justice worthy of Justice Breyer’s legacy, excellence, and decency.” It will be an individual with “extraordinary qualifications, character, experience, and integrity. And that person will be the first black woman ever nominated to the United States Supreme Court.” “It’s long overdue,” he added.

Biden has been pushing to add more diversity to the United States Judicial system. Thus far, he has nominated 62 women to the Federal Judiciary, including 19 black women. He intends to keep his promise and grow that number, adding a black woman to the bench. Last week, President Biden nomanted Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court. Jackson currently serves on the US Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

Jackson “will receive a prompt hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee, and will be considered and confirmed by the full United States Senate with all deliberate speed,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer explained.

There are various reasons for this rush. Ideally, Jackson should be ready to serve when the next term begins, always the first Monday in October (this year falling on October 3rd). Second, Democrats hope to secure Biden’s pick while controlling the Senate. If Republicans regain a majority in the Senate chamber

in the midterms and take control this January and the Court seat remains open, Jackson’s appointment could be put in jeopardy.

Technically, if Democrats were to “stick together” now, they would not need any Republican votes to confirm Jackson because only a simple majority in the Senate is needed. A 50-50 split between the parties, with Vice President Kamala Harris voting in case of a tie.

The next few decisive months will significantly influence many years to come. According to students in Mr. Mill’s AP US Government and Politics class, “it is important for us to pay attention to who is nominated and how far to either side of the spectrum they fall…this pick sets a precedent and influences how the court will lean in the future.”

Another student remarked that “since Trump was able to appoint three justices, that added a lot of his influence to the court. It is so important that there is a balance between presidents, ideologies, and views on the bench.” Americans must stay up to date on this process as it is a crucial moment in our history.

Additionally, “there has only been one woman of color in the history of the Supreme Court.

Biden’s choice to opt for descriptive representation is notable,” emphasized one student. “Due to the current 6-3 split, it will be interesting to see who the new nominee will be and how successfully they can represent America.”

to explore genser themselves and discover things about themselves.

The experience of finding yourself is a totally gratifying one and, like I said, I urge you to try and think a little deeper about your gender identity and see where it brings you. If you have thought about it though, and you have come to the conclusion that you do, in fact, identify with the gender you have always identified with, that you do a little extra work for those of whom this is not the case. That work, if you have not started it, should begin here, by just reading.

We are going to talk about pronouns. First, while I doubt this is something a Rivers student would say as you have great access to education, something that is not void in people’s consciousness in online circles is “I don’t have pronouns.” That person does have pronouns.

Their stupidity is doing their bigotry no favors. I’d rather you tell me that my pronouns are wrong than for you to deny the existence of pronouns. Pronouns are one of eight parts of speech. (if you can name them all in your head right now you win a

gold medal.) You use a pronoun in place of a noun when it is easier to reference the pronoun than to repeat the noun over and over. For example I would never say “Finn is tired and hungry, so Finn is going to eat food, and then Finn is going to go to sleep.” You would say “Finn is tired and hungry, so they are going to eat food, and then they are going to go to sleep.” Some common pronouns used in everyday language are: it, he, she, they, you, etc.

I want to quickly review some common mistakes.

Something you hear is that “they pronouns are plural and so why would you use them to describe a singular person?”

And the thing is, many people already do. Even the people that would say this kind of thing already do use singular they pronouns. In a subconscious manner, people will often use the singular they pronouns to reference a hypothetical person, one with no gender as they are not a person with a specified gender at all, but are only an idea to the person referencing them. A second, and important distinction is that pronouns do not equal gender. A pronoun is

simply something that someone wants to be called, just like a name is. You can identify as male in any sense, and just say that you want to go by she/her pronouns. That’s fine! Literally whatever you want is fine! This includes neopronouns, which are pronouns other than he/him, she/ her, or they/them: such as xe/ xem. Pronouns are a linguistic construct that is entirely made up on the basis of traditional understandings of gender. I think that is something that is easy to agree on, and if you agree on that, the clear logical extension is that pronouns can be whatever one wants, so someone can go by whatever pronouns they want. Plus, literally why would anyone in the entire world ever care. You don’t refuse to say someone’s name because you haven’t heard it before or don’t like how it sounds. That’s weird.

Treat pronouns the same.

A final note I would like to make on pronoun rules is when people use two or more different pronouns. For example: he/they, they/she, it/they, or xe/he/she.

This can look confusing, but the general rule is that in a series of pronouns, priority goes from left to right, so someone with

he/they pronouns wants to hear he, more than they want to hear they, and someone with they/he pronouns is the opposite. This however, is not true for everyone, so simply ask if you’re unsure.

If you are someone who has never thought about their gender before, and just read this whole article, then I thank you for that, and congratulate you on your first step in thinking about your gender or pronouns. The GSA is running a multitude of workshops towards the end of the year, similar in structure to those you have already attended in your advisory groups. These however, will have topics and curriculum crafted by community members because they thought it was something they would want to teach about.

I’m excited for you all to go into these workshops, as it will build on your learning on the topics, and you can take what you gained from this article to have a head start in some of those discussions. Please feel free to come up to me at any time to ask any further questions you have, I’m always 100% happy to answer.

Understanding the power and importance of pronouns

BY FINN MCCUSKER ’22 CONTRIBUTING WRITER

H

ello, my name is Finn McCusker, I am in my senior year of high school. I use they/them pronouns, and you might too! If you don’t think you do use they/ them pronouns, how do you know you don’t use them? Have you thought about it? Then, an even more challenging task, how do you know that the gender you present as is the gender you are? Is it? How do you know? If you haven’t thought about it, I encourage you to do so, but I can understand why you wouldn’t want to.

Gender is a hard thing to think about, especially if it’s not something you’ve thought about a lot. The reason I enjoy doing what I do on campus as it relates to gender and sexuality is simply because I HAVE thought about it a lot. First as it pertained to me, and as I became more comfortable with myself, I began to observe the ways it manifests for other people. I have had the absolute pleasure to be able to see those around me, comfortable enough in my being not straight or cis,

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The Rivers Edge

March 4, 2022

News

School assessing new midterms schedule and its impact

BY CRISTINA GOMEZ ’23 ASSISTANT EDITOR

The 2021-2022 school year has presented several nuances and challenges, yet one that has arguably received the most input from students is the reimplementation of midterm exams. Rivers has an interesting history with midterm exams, scaling them back in 2017 before reinstating them this year.

Rivers hoped the switch to midterms would take some pressure off students by consolidating firstsemester material in the midterm and solely second-semester material in the final.

From the students’ perspectives though, midterms seemed to do exactly the opposite.

Students found that the sporadic midterm schedule proved a difficult adjustment. Language classes gave a cumulative project, while English exams were taken during regular class time. Differently, science and history tests were taken in the morning, followed by a consolidated school day, while math exams occurred the morning of the last day before winter break, and before the holiday basketball tournament. As opposed to one week of midterms, the assessments were dispersed over two separate weeks: some the week before winter break and others the week of Jan. 17th. Students found this splice stressful, as they would have to study, and often stress, over winter break in the build-up to the second week of exams. In the past at Rivers, all midterms occurred during the week before winter break.

Junior class co-presidents Casey Walter ’23 and Hunter

The new midterm exam schedule received mixed reviews from many Upper School students this year.

Tuff ’23 gathered data about the student midterm experience, and they plan to share it with the student council, in hopes to enact change for future years.

“We saw that the gap in between the midterms caused continual stress over break and made it harder to remember the material,” Walter said.

Juniors also provided feedback that it was difficult to focus in classes after taking 90-minute exams and that teachers assigned tests and new material during the week leading up to midterms, which made it hard to differentiate what was and wasn’t on the assessment.

Drawing from the same data, Walter added, “Students experienced high levels of stress across the board.”

On a scale of 1-10, most students rated their stress at a level 8 during the midterms.

Natalia Ramos ’22, the co-

leader of Active Minds, Rivers’ mental health club, concurred. “A lot of people I talked to were so stressed about midterms that afterward, they didn’t even want to talk about them,” Ramos said.

Active Minds found that students felt burned out, as the extended nature of midterms stretched over a month rather than just one week. “Break is supposed to be a time to relax and recharge, but for many students, it wasn’t that,” said Ramos, who also talked about how, especially in the more memorization-based classes, students had to recall and in some instances completely relearn information that was taught a month prior, which proved timeconsuming and mentally taxing for some.

Midterms weren’t all bad, though. Students enjoyed that there was no homework for both of the weeks of midterms, allowing for more study time. The late

starts gave students a much needed break in their mornings. Students also enjoyed the late start, if they didn’t have an exam on a given day. Students also appreciated that each subject gave their assessment on a different day, and the teachers who had review days preceding the exams got some positive shout-outs in the data collection, as well.

Moving forward, Active Minds and the Student Council plan to collaborate to present the information that they have gathered to faculty, hoping to resolve some of this year’s problems in the future.

They plan to include the stress statistics and student discontent in their presentation, as well as ways that Rivers can improve testing weeks in later years.

A large consensus between the groups is that all assessments should be held in a one or twoweek time period before winter break, rather than splitting them

layout, the Revers Center feels almost symbolic of Mr. Parsons’ dedication to providing us with the best spaces on campus conducive to our learning and success.”

Parsons also oversaw the creation of the Center for Civic and Community Engagement in the library, which is devoted to help-

the Covid-19 pandemic, making quick decisions throughout the constantly changing and challenging situation. He also supported and guided the school through increasing its diversity, equity, and inclusion programming and initiatives.

Parsons has created relationships with everyone in the Rivers community and has deeply impacted the community with his personal connections. “Mr. Parsons is the type of advisor who you can laugh and joke around with, but he is also someone who you could sit down with and have important conversations about how to best attain your goals,” Zuvekas said. “Our advisory is unique in that we have an informal relationship with a person with so much influence on our campus. Mr. Parsons ensured that he was always available to us whenever we needed him, despite his other vital responsibilities.”

As he prepares for his life beyond Rivers, Parsons noted in his letter, “During the remainder of this school year and the entire 2022-2023 academic year, I will work tirelessly with the faculty, administration, students,

and trustees to continue to move Rivers forward during this time of transition. The future is bright, and I remain steadfast in my commitment to Rivers and all of you.”

Lank guaranteed the community that even with Parsons’ big shoes to fill, the Board will look diligently for a new Head of

up over a month. “Students might not be thinking about their schoolwork over break and then be hit in the face with three or four midterms,” Ramos said.

The groups also agree that going to classes after long tests is somewhat counter-productive, as mentally-drained students weren’t able to fully pay attention in postexam classes and lost possible study time to classes and extracurricular activities. The proposal will be sure to include a limitation of work and assessments in the weeks leading up to midterms as well.

One of the reasons that most students had so much trouble with midterms this year was not only because of their relative novelty but also because of COVID, which has impacted students’ high school experiences, both socially and academically. Between online learning, shortened class times, and lighter homework loads, students just haven’t been learning at the same rate and caliber as they were two years ago.

Teachers have been slowly ramping the workload and expectations back up, but it takes time for students to acclimate to an increasingly academically rigorous environment. “It’s hard for students to get back into the zone of what school was like pre-covid,” said Ramos.

This midterm feedback is a reminder of how COVID has set all schools and education back.

Between now and next year’s midterms, student leaders hope the feedback they’ve collected and disseminated will make for an overall improved system.

After 9 years at Rivers, Parsons will leave a lasting legacy Continued from page 1 FutureMakers: The Campaign for Rivers. Parsons helped Rivers raise $67 million through the FutureMakers campaign, which has gone toward financial aid, faculty enrichment, program and curriculum development, and new buildings, most notably the 34,000-square-foot Revers Center for Science & Visual Arts, which opened to much fanfare in 2020.

In addition, the school added new turf athletic fields/complexes, two recently renovated Middle School spaces (the Prince and Lewis buildings), and, most recently, the Upper School Haynes Hall is in the midst of preparation for its renovation. Lank remarked, “Each of these projects elevated and enhanced the Rivers experience for today’s students and for future generations.”

Parsons’ tenure as Head of School has certainly been a productive one.

“While I have never experienced Rivers without Mr. Parsons, Rivers has changed significantly during my four years here,” said Elena Zuvekas ’22, one of Parsons’ advisees. “When looking at the campus’s physical

“The Revers Center feels almost symbolic of Mr. Parsons’ dedication to providing us with the best spaces on campus conducive to our learning and success.”

- Elena Zuvekas’22

ing students “exert a positive influence in public life and in life beyond Rivers” and the McCartney Scholars Program, which is a distinction commemorating the contributions of the late Dan McCartney, a beloved math teacher at Rivers.

Additionally, Parsons has valiantly led the community through

“Even though Lisa and I will not be saying our goodbyes for another 18 months, we know that this is the right time for us to begin planning for and embarking on this next step in our lives.”

- Ned Parsons

School: “Rest assured the Board is determined to capitalize on the current momentum and move forward into this exciting next chapter in the school’s strategic planning, which will further anchor the Rivers legacy of achievement.

Now is the right time to plan our transition to new leadership and embark on the next multi-year

strategic plan for the advancement of the school’s enduring tradition of excellence.”

Parsons also commented, “Even though Lisa (Parsons’ wife) and I will not be saying our goodbyes for another 18 months, we are still sad to imagine our departure. Nevertheless, we know that this is the right time for us to begin planning for and embarking on this next step in our lives.”

Zuvekas added, “Mr. Parsons is always there, whether that be consistently attending sports events and the winter musical or nodding a friendly hello at anyone in the lunch line or around campus. His constant engagement within our community and genuine interactions with its members will be greatly missed.”

While Parsons still has over a year at Rivers, during which he will aid in the school’s search for his replacement as well as his normal duties, the Rivers community will certainly be ready to celebrate the incredible impact he has had on the school. Parsons emphasized this, saying, “Together, we changed the course of Rivers, forever.”

March 4, 2022

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The Rivers Edge

Features

New Teacher Evan Massey followed his path and passion

BY SAM LYONS ’22 ASSOCIATE EDITOR

“Educational!”

That is the word Mr. Massey uses to describe his first year as an Upper School English teacher at Rivers. It’s been a long journey for the still young teacher - from Virginia to Afghanistan to Winter Street. But Evan Massey’s desire to express and learn ultimately shines through the many theaters of his life.

Before teaching, Mr. Massey characterizes his life as “sporadic.” He developed passions for reading and writing in unconventional ways. While he did not consider himself a lover of ether discipline in high school, Massey recalls writing music as an early precursor to his future ventures in English. He remembers writing beats, choruses, hooks, and bridges fondly.

“It was always rhyming and storytelling, about communicating with the world around me,” Massey says.

As a teacher at Rivers, he incorporates music into the classroom on a weekly basis, celebrating “Music Mondays” as a way to engage students. But Massey didn’t have a clue that he would end up at the front of the classroom till he was thousands of miles and an ocean away.

In his early twenties, Mr. Massey served in the US Military. Far away from his Virginia

home, he discovered passions that have driven him ever since.

“I didn’t realize I was going to be a teacher until I picked up a history book in Afghanistan and just began reading,” he says.

From that moment on, Massey recalls, he was “on a path to be educated.” He left the Army after one tour in Afghanistan to go down that path.

Said path to be educated took him first to community college, which he paid for through working at Footlocker, Lowes, summer camps, and various other odd jobs. From there, Massey received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Mississippi. He then went to graduate school at Virginia Tech, where he received an MFA in creative writing. As a graduate student, he also found teaching for the first time. He was a teacher’s assistant for seminars in creative nonfiction, poetry, and short fiction. Massey also taught courses in creative writing, English composition, and editing.

He then taught a western Massachusetts eighth grade class remotely from Virginia. It was during this experience that he began to really understand the impact he could have on youth as a teacher.

“Going to their graduation and meeting them in person,” he says, “was really a surreal experience, almost life changing.”

Now in his first year teaching at Rivers, having taught middle

school students all the way up through college students, Massey realizes that no matter the age group, he “loves discussion and can always be himself.” In his first year at Rivers, he has learned how to balance rigor in the classroom, always trying to challenge and inspire his students. Massey believes that he brings a different perspective to the job, which has proved helpful. “I have so many things I want to talk about. I love the world, ” he says, “I have a lot of stories to tell from my army experiences, and from times when I didn’t have the means, resources, or awareness to capture who I was.”

In addition to channeling his creative energy in the classroom, Mr. Massey continues to love to write. He writes early in the morning, late at night, between classes, and during lunch, motivated by his goal to “build a profession around writing.”

“I want to be able to contribute to my own field,” he says.

Massey is currently doing so in two main projects. First, he is writing a collection of essays revolving around themes of the environment, race, identity, magic, and alchemy. He is also almost done with a novel about his experience in Afghanistan, which he has been working on for almost a year.

The young author has already received impressive acclaim and commendation for his written

In his first year at Rivers, English teacher Evan Massey has found a way to inspire his students in the classroom while balancing his passion for creative writing. File photo. work. Most recently, he was awarded a full scholarship to the Bread Loaf Environmental Writers’ Conference. Previously he received a research grant for “Story and Litany” from Virginia Tech.

He has won the Emily Morrison Prize for Fiction, and placed third for Poetry, among other awards and fellowships.

As a teacher, he wants to

instill that same creativity “as much as possible.” By getting students invested in interdisciplinary analysis and generally thinking about literature from as many perspectives as possible, he hopes to show young students that English isn’t “all about plot character and setting.” As any student of his can tell you, it’s so much more.

grew Wordle’s following through social media and messaging.

Now, the Wordle site offers additional puzzles to the Daily, including options ranging from four to eleven letters and fourteen languages. Players can now even choose their own words and make their own puzzles to send to friends.

To most, the game’s popularity is not undeserved. Described as “pure serotonin” by Rivers’ co-president Kara Johnson ’22, Wordle is a bright light in many people’s days, and its scarce nature leaves players wanting more. Many people even stay up until midnight, awaiting the release of the new puzzle.

On campus, it is not rare to hear animated conversations about the game. You might hear students arguing about the best starting word (ADIEU?) or if today’s word even exists (AGORA?). A shared experience, Wordle is a quick and interesting conversation starter, even for those who find the game frustrating to play.

Recently, at the end of January, the New York Times announced that it had purchased Wordle for a low seven-figure number. Regarding the sale, Wardle released a statement on Twitter: “I’d be lying if I said this hasn’t been a little overwhelming. After all, I am just

one person, and it is important to me that, as Wordle grows, it continues to provide a great experience to everyone.” The New York Times has a standing portfolio of games with about one million subscribers, yet the paper has said that Wordle will initially remain free, without providing any information of the future of the game.

Wordle fans have also speculated that since the NYT purchase, the daily words have increased in difficulty. “There are words that not everybody knows,” said Avery Mattoon ’22, responding to recent puzzle words like “tacit,” “caulk,” and “swill,” which might make the game a helpful tool in preparing for the SATs or ACTs! It is unclear if the uptick in difficulty will continue with the NYT ownership, yet it is evident that the change has been a noticeable frustration for many players.

It has only been about five months since Wordle hit the internet, yet many people now cannot imagine their day without the simple game. As for now, Wordle remains a buzzing topic both on campus and beyond. And with the new direction of the game under NYT management, it will be interesting to see the path that Wordle, the instant obsession of early 2022, will take.

Addictive Wordle sweeps the nation and Rivers campus

BY ABIGAIL SIKORSKI ’22 ASSOCIATE EDITOR

If you are walking around Rivers, you are bound to see many phones and computers open to Wordle’s distinct website. The plain white grid is everywhere; moms on Facebook are obsessed, students can’t get enough, and just about everyone has heard all about the guessing game.

Five letters, six tries. Wordle, the simple internet word game, has exploded in popularity. This free, no-frills website holds a few moments of entertainment in many people’s daily routines.

Players have six tries to guess a five-letter word. After a guess, letters turn green, yellow, or gray. Green indicates that the letter is in the right position, and yellow means that the letter is in the word but placed in the wrong spot. A gray letter, though, means that the letter is not in the word.

Each wordle is unique and the level of difficulty varies daily from easy to borderline impossible.

The catch? Wordle only releases a new puzzle every twenty-four hours, so all players are completing the same puzzle at the same time. “It’s a fun way to connect with my friends,” said Sophie DuBard ’22. “We make it a competition and talk about it in

Wordle, the daily online word challenge game has taken the country and the Rivers campus - by storm. the mornings at school.” how interested his family was in Wordle itself started as a the game, by October of 2021, source of connection, too. Josh Wardle decided to release Wordle Wardle, a software engineer in to the masses as a website. As Brooklyn, created the guessing of now, no official app has been game for himself and his word created for the game. game-loving partner. A clever According to Wardle, on play on his last name, Wordle Nov. 1, 2021, 90 people played immediately became a hit the daily puzzle. Two months between the couple and among later, the site had 300,000 people Wardle’s extended family as playing daily. The rise of Wordle well. Wardle had collaborated was rapid and widely accredited on many site projects before, but to Twitter. From Nov. 1 to Jan. Wordle was a more personal solo 13, nearly 1.3 million tweets project, aimed to help pass time about Wordle crowded Twitter. during the pandemic for him and When Wordle released an update his partner. In a New York Times allowing for players to share an (NYT) article, Wardle described emoji picture of their Wordle the couple’s obsession with NYT board solving process without games, such as the spelling bee the letters present, players used and the daily crossword, and how the emoji share to discuss the he hoped to create a game that game without spoiling it for his partner would enjoy. Seeing others. The result-sharing feature

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The Rivers Edge

Arts

March 4, 2022

Mamma Mia! production dazzles and delights audiences

BY SOPHIE DUBARD ’22 ASSOCIATE EDITOR

“You can dance! You can jive!

Having the time of your life!”

And that we did!

The Rivers Nonesuch players transported the community last weekend from the Regis College theater to the world of Mamma Mia! on the fictional Greek island Kalokairi.

The cast rightfully earned a standing ovation after their incredible performance on opening night last Thursday. By the end of the show, the entire audience was up on their feet dancing to the finale songs “Mamma Mia”,“Dancing Queen”, and “Waterloo.”

“I’m so glad the school is excited to see the show, and I hope they can see how much fun we’re having on stage,” said Adrienne Correia ’22, a featured dancer, dance captain, and school drama captain.

And we could. It was obvious how much fun the cast had on stage, but members of the audience had just as much fun watching and dancing along.

After weeks of anticipation, Mamma Mia! opened on Thursday, Feb. 24th. The set was breathtaking, with the taverna’s classic blue and white buildings decorated with flowers. The show, focusing on a young bride-to-be’s search for her biological father, featured a 37-member cast and the musical score by the Swedish band ABBA. Although duos are usually known to be dynamic, this cast was made of many dynamic trios.

Sophie, the bride-to-be, played by Sarah DuBard ’25, had best-friend sidekicks Ali, played by Payson Salyer ’24, and Lisa, played by Natalia Ramos ’22. The trio first introduced the plot with “Honey, Honey,” a rendition of Sophie’s mother’s journal entries depicting Sophie’s possible fathers that is a tune sure to get stuck in your head. Sophie’s mother, Donna, played by Marin Broderick ’22, brought the stage to life with her friends Tonya (Rinny Leeming ’23), and Rosie (Anna Monaghan ’22). Broderick led the cast in the first full-company number with “Money, Money, Money.”

The true conflict is revealed when three possible dads, Sam, played by Alex Massarotti ’23, Bill, played by Colin Falvey ’23, and Harry, played by Andrew Ho ’25, show up to Sophie’s wedding. Ho delivered his lines with a flawless British accent and even learned to play the guitar to begin the song “Thank You for the Music.” The last trio was the groom and his bachelors, Sky (Xavier Massarotti ’25), Pepper (Cole Pierson ’23), and Eddie (Finn McCusker ’22).

Along with these impressive leads, the cast’s ensemble drew the audience in, especially during the iconic numbers like “Dancing Queen” and “Mamma Mia.” “Voulez Vous” was another fun

Marin Broderick ’22 (center) and cast perform “Dancing Queen” during the Nonesuch Player’s production of “Mamma Mia! last week. Photos by John Hurley. number, choreographed by the very talented Correia.

Although the cast boasted plenty of veterans, the two leading ladies, Donna and Sophie, are new to the Regis stage. Broderick debuted her Rivers theater career last year virtually. DuBard is a freshman, and with her first year at Rivers comes her first show with the Nonesuch Players. A triple threat, DuBard wowed the audience with a triple pirouette in “Voulez Vous” DuBard both started and closed out the show with the beautiful “I Have a Dream”, while Broderick showcased her incredible talent while pulling on the audience’s heart strings with “Slipping Through My Fingers.”

Following a great opening night, DuBard was thrilled with the chance to be on stage as well as the cast’s performance.

“Sophie was definitely one of my dream roles,” said DuBard.

“After months of rehearsals, it felt amazing to be on stage with the audience’s support. Having such an amazing cast beside me during my first show at Rivers has made my experience so memorable.”

Before opening night, Broderick admitted to feeling some butterflies. “It’s my first time in

Sam (Alex Massarotti ’23) talks to Sophie (Sarah DuBard’25).

The possible fathers, Bill (Colin Falvey ’23) and Sam (Massarotti )

The 37-member cast brought the house down with their performances last week and had the audiences both nights dancing and singing along in the Regis College theater. Photo by John Hurley.

a musical on-stage, so I’m definitely nervous, but my whole family is coming to see the show, and having that kind of support system is so important to me,” she said. “And as for the cast, we have such an amazing bond. I especially love all the traditions that we have.”

Although Broderick admitted to having nerves, the audience couldn’t tell. She delivered an insanely impressive performance with the ever-so-emotional ballad “The Winner Takes It All”.

Rosie, Tanya, and Donna— making up “the world’s first girl-power band, Donna and the Dynamos” — performed “Super Trooper” in brightly-colored disco suits, wowing the audience.

What was even more impressive, however, was their ability to dance in four-inch go-go boots. A fan-favorite surprise at the end of the show was when the three possible dads, Sam, Bill, and Harry, all wore matching disco suits themselves, paired with their own go-go boots. Lucy TonThat ‘22 has been a costume assistant for five theater productions at Rivers, and these costumes were her favorite. “I love the costumes for the finale,” said TonThat. “Although they look amazing from the audience, to see them up close is even more impressive. They are super intricate, with details like tassels and fringe, and I think they fit the characters’ identities so well.”

Along with this performance, Donna, Tanya and Rosie had their own moments of stardom. Leeming (Tanya) stole the stage during her performance of “Does Your Mother Know” with Pierson (Pepper), who even did a backflip during the performance. Monaghan’s (Rosie) “Take a Chance on Me” with Falvey (Bill) had the audience erupting in laughter.

And that wasn’t the only moment that the audience found hilarious. During “Lay All Your Love On Me,” cast members danced on stage, outfitted in flippers, swim trunks, and leis. In the final wedding scene, Ethan Kasparian-Weisman ‘24, playing the priest, conducted a hilarious ceremony that ended in the happilyever-after for Donna and Sam as they sang “I Do!” With the cast, crew, and musicians’ hard work, the show turned out to be an enormous success, and cast members were quick to thank director Zoë Iacovelli and assistant director Julia AusterHogan.

“Zoë has made the show such a fun experience, because she really connected with each of us, making the environment so supportive and positive,” said DuBard.

With a snow-filled Friday calling for a snow day, Friday’s evening performance was moved to a Saturday matinee that proved to be just as impressive and well attended as opening night.

Day or night, everyone had the time of their lives.

The Rivers Edge

March 4, 2022

Page 9

Arts

Drama “captain” Natalia Ramos ’22 takes her final bow

BY AVA PALAZZOLO ’23

ASSISTANT EDITOR

If you have attended any performing arts productions in the past seven years, you are sure to have seen Natalia Ramos’s bright smile and vibrant energy bringing joy across the stage. Her enthusiasm both on and off the stage has made her a face to remember in every production the Nonesuch Players have put on.

Entering Rivers in sixth grade, Ramos ’22 immediately threw herself into the community and became involved at Rivers in every way possible. She joined all of the Middle School clubs offered, such as the community service club and the DEI club. Along with her involvement in this multitude of organizations, she performed in every production she could, starting in sixth-grade drama. While theater did have an important role in Ramos’s life in middle school, it was not until her sophomore year performance in Legally Blonde as Leilani that her love for the stage flourished.

“I had so much fun with that production. I loved every minute of being on stage but also being with the cast backstage and messing around and having fun,” Ramos says. “I cried before both nights of Legally Blonde. Just being on stage with my best friends is absolutely incredible.”

Her fellow cast members took note as well. Rinny Leeming ’23, who played the lead role of Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, was immediately able to acknowledge how essential Ramos’s contribu-

tions to the performance were.

“Something I really love about Natalia is her presence on stage,” explains Leeming. “The audiences’ eyes are always drawn to her because of her charisma and bright smile.”

Looking back on her high school experience at Rivers, Ramos found her place in the performing arts community. Coming to a new school can be challenging for many students, and sometimes finding a community where you feel you belong can take time. Ramos explored everything Rivers had to offer and knew almost immediately that being a member of the performing arts community was exactly the right choice for her.

“I didn’t really know where I fit in at Rivers. I wasn’t an athlete, and I do really like academics and music, but I never found a place where I really fit in,” says Ramos. “But when I performed in Zombie Prom my freshman year, I realized that I actually liked theater because of the supportive environment and the excitement surrounding risk taking.”

When the pandemic hit and the theater lights at Rivers were turned off, Ramos, like many Rivers students, took the many hours stuck at home to reflect on who she wanted to be in the years of high school to come. Stepping out onto the stage requires a large amount of courage, and Ramos began to realize how important it was to embrace her true self.

“I decided after we came back to school after quarantining that I was going to be myself com-

pletely because you never know when that opportunity can be taken away or life changes,” states Ramos. “Performing arts made me realize the best person I can be is myself, and I don’t have to be anyone else.”

Similar to how Ramos throws herself into the performing arts community, she also plays a key role in the larger community.

Ramos showcases her leadership skills as the co-leader of the Latinx Affinity Space, the leader of Active Minds, a student advisor, and a teacher’s assistant for Spanish. Outside of Rivers, Ramos continues to be a role model as a tutor for Immigrant Family Services Institute and an overnight summer camp counselor.

Looking towards her future, Ramos intends to hold onto the joy that she has for participating in the performing arts. Although she will not major in performing arts, she is considering possibly minoring in it. Ramos does hope to join clubs in college where her enthusiasm for theater can be carried beyond just high school.

With last week’s live performance of Mamma Mia!, Ramos shined on stage once again. After countless hours of dedication and practicing, the senior and the rest of the Nonesuch Players showcased their talents in what was “the comeback for Rivers musicals.”

“There’s so much dancing and singing. I think everyone will enjoy it because most people know the music, so everyone should sing along and cheer us on,” says Ramos before the show last week.

Stage veteran and drama captain Natalia Ramos’22. Photo J. Hurley.

“Everyone should come watch and experience the magic of theater again, and we are all really excited to open and cannot wait!”

Ramos’s director for Mamma Mia, Zoë Iacovelli, raved about Ramos’ vibrant energy and dedication to theater: “I am forever grateful for Natalia’s work in the winter musical, both on the stage as a performer and off the stage as a drama captain,” Iacovelli says.

“Natalia is incredibly talented, passionate, inclusive, and positive.”

When it comes to theater, Ramos strongly believes in the magic that comes from taking part in productions. Performing on stage in front of hundreds of parents, students, and teachers can be intimidating, but Ramos encourages students to acknowledge how rewarding taking risks can be. For Ramos, the process of auditioning

is daunting, but she truly values the experience of both showcasing her talents and experiencing her peers’ talents first-hand.

“Yes, performing can be scary, but going through that process of taking risks is so essential. If you don’t try new things and take risks, you are never going to find something you truly love,” says Ramos. “I think everyone at Rivers should do at least one production because they might love it, and I think the experience itself is very unique.”

After years of contributing to the performing arts community at Rivers, Ramos has undoubtedly left a positive impact on the Rivers theater program. Through her strong leadership, positive attitude, and vibrant energy, Ramos has helped shape the Rivers performing arts community into what it is today.

ing’s self-portraits successfully draw onlookers, as students make sure to look for their friends’ pieces in passing.

The galleries’ strategic placements on campus allow all students to access them every day, even passing through more than once. “I also really like that I get to see all of the art pieces when walking from class to class,” said Maddy Stikeleather ’24. “It’s a nice distraction from all of my work.”

Art being shown in central public locations is also a way for students to share their messages among the community efficiently.

For example, it’s challenging to miss junior Aaron Weiner’s Love on the way to language and math classrooms. Love is a set of four simple yet powerful prints. These prints are accompanied by a paragraph by Weiner, invoking a discussion about love and equality in America.

Weiner discusses discrimination against LGBTQ+ people and the different ways people experience love. “Sometimes, love bleeds through and is noticeable by others,” Weiner writes. “Other times, the colors are so dark you can’t see what’s hidden underneath. Additionally, love can leave a shadow scattered across you.”

Weiner skillfully supplies readers

with a whole new lens to view his set of prints.

Among the many powerful pieces, the set of three acrylic and gesso works on mixed media boards by Cristina Gomez ’23 certainly stands out. Gomez explains how Rivers’ speaker Jordan Clark inspired her piece in the accompanying writing. Jordan Clark came earlier this year to talk and educate Rivers on Indigenous peoples and their lands and urge us to recognize the land we live on as stolen land.

Gomez’s artwork cleverly highlights the whitewashing that the indigenous land of Cape Cod faces with a thin layer of white over the landscapes of the Cape.

In her work, Gomez writes that she “wanted to encourage others to think about the tribes that were forcefully removed from their land.”

Even when there is no attached writing, every piece of artwork communicates a message in every level course. This message could be an artist’s observation, a statement, a criticism, a hope. Each student at Rivers is given an opportunity to communicate through their art. These exhibitions are a way for all students to promote and project their messages.

Exhibits showcase works from new Foundations courses

BY MEGAN SWEATT ’24 STAFF WRITER

The Baldwin Art Commons and Bell Gallery have come alive with new waves of student work.

This year marks the introduction of Foundation art classes, and with it, the most extensive collection of student artwork showcased at once in the school’s galleries.

For the first time at Rivers, the Baldwin Art Commons in Revers has been designated to showcase solely Foundations classes. Foundation classes are new this year, and they are a unique way for students to take two introductory courses in one semester. Students have the opportunity to sign up for two classes. Their options are ceramics, drawing, photography, or sculpture. Each student taking a Foundations course was able to display two final pieces, one from each class, doubling the size of the gallery.

Students in Foundations drawing classes created drawings of a place of special significance. Ceramics students were able to display from their choice of several projects. Photography students chose from a final portfolio. Finally, sculpture students displayed their recognizable plaster pieces.

Many benefits come with the

Insklkkkkkk Some of the impressive works from the first year of Foundations arts courses on display in the Bell Gallery. Photo by A. Gary ’22. introduction of this year’s Founda- and expressing themselves in diftions courses, including the possi- ferent ways. “I thought it was fun bility of trying out multiple differ- and interesting to be able to look ent mediums before jumping into at everyone else’s art because intermediate and advanced level even though we did most of the courses. same projects in the same classes, “I liked being able to discover everyone had a different take on what I am most interested in dur- them and put a lot of great effort ing these little sneak peek classes into,” McKeigue added. so that later on I can really dive Across campus in the Bell Galinto something I feel passionate lery is artwork from the various inabout,” explained Foundations termediate and advanced art classstudent Amy McKeigue ’25. es. Since its installation, students Across all of the art in both gal- are regularly seen on their way to leries, it’s safe to say that no stu- classes wandering through ceramdent creates the same piece of art. ics pieces, wooden sculptures, Even students of the same class mirror paintings, painted jerseys, end up interpreting the assignment and more. The intermediate draw-

Page 10

The Rivers Edge

March 4, 2022

Sports

Boys’ hoops racks up big wins heading into tournament

BY SKYLAR HOLMES ’23 STAFF WRITER and SAM LYONS ’22 ASSOCIATE EDITOR

An inarguable highlight to this winter’s athletic season, the boys’ varsity basketball team has shot, passed, and dunked their way to a stellar regular season. While the squad had a slightly slow start to the season, the team ramped up the intensity to currently have an overall record of 19-5 heading into the postseason.

With the strong support of the fanzone at home games, Benson has reflected the growth, commitment, and excitement of the team.

The boys’ chemistry is strong this year on and off the court, and their spirit and drive is often demonstrated by the basketball players and their student fans around campus and at games. The bonds between the players on the team have developed in the practices and games over the course of the winter, and the team is hoping to make a deep run into the playoffs.

“We started off slow, losing two of our first three games. But ever since then, we’ve really connected as a team and turned things around winning 15 of the next 17 games,” said junior forward Jayden Ndjigue.

Ndjigue has led the team to some electrifying and frankly, dominant performances this season. These included a demolition of Groton (96-56), a decisive victory against Roxbury Latin (71-

Sophomore Amir Lindsay drives past a Beaver defender during the Holiday Tournament. Photo by Hurley.

42), and a thirty point runaway victory over Marianapolis (8757). Nothing compared, however, to a close win over Dexter (56-49) to win the Holiday Tournament, though a 92-31 final score in a victory over Pingree comes close.

With a strong eleven-man roster composed of four seniors, three juniors, two sophomores, and two freshmen, Head Coach Keith Zalaski has a strong team of personalities to work with.

“We have a close-knit group

that likes being around each other, and it has shown in our play on the court,” said captain Max Poulton ’22, who will be playing on the basketball team at Colby next year. Their connection in all settings helps them play harder and faster, ultimately leading to their impressive record.

For captain Tim Minicozzi ’22, one of his successes of the season was hitting his 1,000 career point milestone on Feb. 5th against Beaver. Minicozzi will play for MIT

next year. This momentous milestone is not achieved by many, but when achieved, it is heavily recognized. Along with captain Drew Martin ’22, who will be playing at Amherst College next year, and Ryan Douglas ’22, the senior class is the bedrock of the team this year, and they will leave some big shoes for the team to fill next year after they graduate.

The underclassmen on the team play a huge role in the dynamic on the court. Amir Lindsey ’24 is a

crucial piece of the team both offensively and defensively for the Red Wings. The electrifying Lindsey is constantly seen on the breakaway, aiming for a layup. Another essential sophomore player is Jay Jones ’24. Jones can frequently be seen hitting 3’s and contributing to the team’s offense. It is rare to see the sophomores not contributing in large ways as in the game against Lawrence, Jones tallied 14 points, the second-most on the team after Poulton’s 19 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Rounding out the key contributors is freshman Ryan Altman, who brings a strikingly mature and poised playstyle as a ninth grader.

As the regular season came to a close, the team continued to prepare for the post-season. “Maintaining our undefeated Class B record for the NEPSAC tournament is one of our biggest goals,” said Poulton. “We are hopeful about getting a top seed and playing at home throughout the playoffs.”

The boys’ earned the #2 seed and hosted Governor’s in Benson on Wednesday, a team they beat handily in the regular season.

“We are very excited to get into the playoff week and love that we can keep this group together for as long as possible,” Zalaski said.

“Any success we’ve had this year has been a group effort in all ways, and we look at this week in the same manner. Our guys love playing for each other, and I have full confidence in them.”

Seniors help lead girls’ hockey team to a strong finish

BY AMANDA GARY ’22 CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

After a challengng, almost non-existent season last winter with the Covid-19 restrictions, the girls’ varsity hockey had a strong 2021-22 campaign. With 25 members, including 9 seniors, the team finished the regular season with a record of 14 wins, 8 losses, and 1 tie. The team played aggressively in games and practices, battling through the Omicron surge in the middle of the season as well as weathering tough injuries to key players.

The team started off with a 2-1 win against Middlesex, lost to Tabor 0-6 in their third game of the season, and then won four games in the Dexter Southfield Holiday Tournament. The new year saw the Red Wings drop five games in a row as they hit the middle of the season against competitive teams such as Nobles and BB&N, and recently won 4-2 against Governor’s Academy.

The tough stretch didn’t deter the team, however.

“I believe the hockey season has gone great so far,” captain and goalie Eve Stone ’22 said at the end of January. “We started off strong by winning the dexter tournament for the third year.

Following winter break, we had

a bump in the road where we went on a losing streak. I think it could have been due to having many players out with Covid and injuries. We have definitely picked up the pace and are doing really well again.”

With the rollercoaster of wins and losses, the team has grown closer and stronger, which has been apparent with their teamwork on the ice.

“I think the team environment has been amazing,” Stone said.

“Every team has rough patches, but I think one advantage we have over other teams is our connection. We are all friends and support one another, and it is really obvious on and off the ice. We definitely have one of the loudest benches in the ISL.” And that spirit - along with some strong play down the stretch - propelled the team to a strong finish in the final month.

Starting Jan. 31, the Red Wings went 6-2-1.

“As a captain this year I have learned that the only way we can win games is if we play as a team,” Stone said. “We have done a fair amount of team bonding and it has definitely been an asset to our team.”

The hard work and team-first mentality paid off. The girls’ team earned the #4 seed in the NEPSAC tournament. They

Kayla Castellucci ’22 attacks the net during a game this winter. Castellucci leads a strong core of seniors looking to take the girls’ hockey team deep into the postseason. Photo by Ewen Robertson ’25. hosted Lawrence Academy last Wednesday in MacDowell.

While the goal is to win it all, not matter what happens in the postseason, the team’s dedicated vererans have a lot to be grateful for.

As the team is majorly composed of seniors, the juniors will

have big shoes to fill given the talent, leadership, and dedication of the seniors.

“There are so many things I am going to miss about RVGH,” commented Stone when asked what she will miss the most about RVGH. “However, I will definitely miss the community

the most. We have so much fun on and off the ice as a team and it makes every game exciting. We have a great balance of serious and not serious which creates an amazing environment to build great friendships and win lots of games.”

March 4, 2022

Page 11

Sports

After strong season, boys’ hockey ready for postseason

BY JASON GLICK ’24 CONTRIBUTING WRITER

In their first full season in two years, the boys’ varsity hockey team is back and picked up right where they left off. In 2020, their last full season, they secured a spot in the NEPSAC playoffs with a 12-9 record in the ISL season.

Their 2021 season was without a normal schedule, having nonleague games and being limited

by COVID rules.

Freddy Meyer, the team’s head coach, is coaching his first normal season with Rivers. The team, ready to return to normalcy of the sport they love, was pumped to get started, and Meyer, with plenty of experience as a former professional hockey player, stepped up to lead the way. Playing at Boston University, the AHL minor leagues, and later enjoying a career in the NHL with the Philadelphia Flyers, New York Islanders, Phoenix (now Arizona) Coyotes, and Atlanta Thrashers (now Winnipeg Jets), Meyer knows exactly what it takes to be a successful player. Meyer finished his professional hockey career with Modo Hockey of the SHL in

Luke Swaim ’22 battles for control of the puck during the Red Wings’ game against Brooks this winter. Photo by Teddy Foley ’26.

Sweden. He has brought his pro- cob Kulas ‘24, a forward on the fessional knowledge of the game team, touching on his experience to Rivers to guide his team to suc- with the first full season. “Daily cess. Meyer coaches alongside as- practices and watching film from sistant coaches Daniel Panciocco games has allowed us to grow as a team and make the necessary adand Stephen Sheridan.

This season’s 13-6-1 record justments to be successful.”

The team, with two to three heading into the postseason puts them in a similar position to the games a week, relies on their daily 2020 season. Rivers earned the practices to prepare them for their #5 seed in the Piatelli/Simmons rigorous schedule. From Jan. 26Tournament and squared off 29, the Red Wings played three games in just a four-day span. Even against Pomfret last Wednesday.

“The biggest learning experi- under this immense pressure, the ence for me has been conditioning team maintained their five-game and learning how to stay healthy winning streak that lasted from through a longer season,” said Ja- Jan. 22 until the beginning of Feb-

ruary. The streak included a 7-1 home win over BB&N, a 6-3 road win against Roxbury Latin, an exciting 2-1 win versus Nobles—the team’s rival—at home, an away 4-1 win against Middlesex, and a 5-3 home victory over Groton.

The Red Wings demonstrated their ability to bounce back, with this streak happening after two tough losses against St. Marks and Brooks. With a winning record, the Red Wings continue to accumulate wins consistently.

They piled up goal after goal after goal as the season progressed and in net, goaltender Conor Sullivan ‘22 was able to achieve four shutouts during February.

As they head into the playoffs, the team can look back at a very successful regular season in which they grew together as a team. “We have come a long way since the start of the season and have worked hard to be in the playoffs, so looking forward now into next week, we just want to stay focused and continue to work hard to win that first playoff game no matter who we play.” said Ziv Deener-Chodirker ’22, one of the team’s captains.

Deener-Chodirker, who will

play at Williams next year, emphasized the importance of making the most of their time on ice, whether during a regular practice or during games. Leading the team, he knows they must focus not only on their physical state while playing but also on the mental challenges of hard work and persistence.

In a hard fought game on Feb. 23, Rivers tied 0-0 against Brooks, which ultimately secured them a spot in the playoffs. The team’s playing was obviously integral to the win, but Deener-Chodirker also credited those not on the ice. “We had a strong season, and most importantly we have had a lot of fun,” he said. “At our home games, the Fanzone’s energy creates an amazing atmosphere that is unique to high school hockey.

The Fanzone this year has been the best I think I have ever seen in my four years on the team.”

When students come out to support their classmates as a part of the fanzone, the team feels the impact on the ice. The official Rivers Fanzone Instagram page is always full of reminders to cheer on Rivers athletes at games.

After the uncertainties of the pandemic throughout the 2021 winter season, the cross country ski team finally got back into what Head Coach John Adams calls the “racing rhythm.” With restrictions lifted, the team traveled throughout New England, where they competed against some of the most competitive teams and skiers in the country.

The team partook in challenging and intensive practices on local golf courses and competed in races weekly. For the first time since the start of the pandemic, the team traveled to New Hampshire to compete in the annual Lakes Region race.

Additionally, the team raced as the home team for the first time.

They hosted several races that the team called “Friday Night Lights” at Weston High School against Belmont Hill, Middlesex, and Phillips Andover.

One notable addition to the 2022 team was the arrival of assistant coach Tiffany Doggett.

Currently a drawing and painting teacher in the upper school, Doggett took the role as John Adams’s first assistant coach in his seven years of coaching experience. From introducing new intensive workouts to scheduling weekly meetings, she became an essential part of the team.

“She’s just outstanding,” Adams remarked.

There were several challenges that the team had to overcome throughout the season. With the spike of the pandemic, both some skiers and Adams himself had no choice but to miss weeks

of the season. Furthermore, several members of the team highlighted the inconsistency of the weather, which continually altered skiing conditions.

Adele Hartt, the only senior on the team, took the role of team captain this year. Throughout the season, her leadership was undeniable. A member of the cross country ski team since freshman year, she led by example. Additionally, Hartt herself had an excellent season which demonstrated tremendous growth.

She finished third in two races against Middlesex, Andover, and Berkshire and finished 18th at the Lakes Region Championship, one of the highest placements in Rivers history.

Although personal records among the team were deemed inaccurate due to the unpredictable weather conditions, it was evident that the team improved and persevered throughout the entire season. The team learned to develop their fitness, skiing technique, and their ability to become “more serious athletes.”

Additionally, the team fostered a warm, incredibly supportive environment.

“We’re always coming out onto the course to cheer each other on while we’re not racing and sometimes even skiing alongside teammates for moral support during their race,” Hartt explained. The ski team has developed a close-knit, determined group while enjoying the outdoors and nature of the winter at the same time.

- by Andrew Correia ’23

Girls’ basketball builds on success XC ski team hits stride

BY HANNAH LAPIDES ’22 CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

With the winter sports season coming to a close, the girls’ varsity basketball team remains tightknit, supportive, and optimistic.

Under the leadership of captains Ana von Rumohr ’23, Lily Girard ’22, and Nini Varsamis ’23, the team persevered through several injuries as well as canceled and rescheduled games due to winter weather and the ongoing pandemic.

Despite some tough losses, the team has come out with 13 outstanding wins against St. Mark’s, Governor’s Academy, St. George’s, Middlesex, BB&N, Milton Academy, and several other schools.

Throughout all the ups and downs of this winter season due to the Omicron surge, the team has maintained its positive dynamic with the help of Head Coach Lindsay Miller and Assistant Coach Chantel Jordan.

Despite the hiccup caused by Omicron in December, the team was able to play maskless once again and finish out the season as normal.

This year’s team is made up of five freshmen, three sophomores, four juniors, and one senior, leading the team to success and setting them up well for the next few seasons.

On reflection of her first season of Rivers girls’ varsity basketball, freshman Izzy O’Brien remarked, “As my first year on the team, I have loved every second of it. It’s been such

Freshman Grace O’Sullivan heads up court against Nobles during the Holiday Tournament. Photo by John Hurley. a great season, and I am so glad that I got to know each and every one of them.”

As junior captain von Rumohr closed out her fourth season on the court, she said, “Everyone worked really hard and came together this season. I can’t wait to see what we will do next year.”

Von Rumohr looks forward to experiencing an extra season with her teammates and continuing to work hard for success next year.

As her last season of Rivers basketball comes to an end, fellow captain and only senior on the team, Lily Girard, appreciates how the team has come together and persisted through many challenges this season. “Even though there have been some injuries as of late, we have persevered

through the whole season,” Girard said of the season. “We are officially maskless and playing together and against many teams without Covid, and I’m so lucky I got to have a normal senior season. The team dynamic is great and I have gotten so much closer with all my teammates.”

Similarly, O’Brien commented, “With the end of the season approaching, there is definitely some emotion through the team, but we are all still very supportive of each other, and our energy is super great.”

To close out an already successfl season for Rivers girls varsity basketball, Nina Minicozzi ’23 and von Rumohr were selected as NEPSAC AA All-Stars.

Page 12

The Rivers Edge

March 4, 2022

Sports

Skilled senior Max Poulton leads boys’ basketball team

BY CHARLIE FOLEY ’22 ASSISTANT EDITOR

Max Poulton is a name nearly synonymous with Rivers basketball for the past four years. During his high school career, he has played an integral role on each team. Max is a talented shooter through and through, playing a pivotal role in the team’s key games against the ISL’s best Brooks, Milton Academy, and St. Sebastian’s. He has led his team to success year after year, most notably this year under his captainship he helped earn them a 19-5 season (13-4 in the ISL), a Rivers’ Holiday championship over Dexter Southfield, and a second place seed in the upcoming NEPSAC Class B tournament.

On the eve of his final week as a Red Wing, Poulton is looking forward to making a deep run in the playoffs and hopefully raising a banner in the process.

Poulton has been playing basketball for his entire life, playing club for the Boston Bobcats before moving to the Mass Rivals. He has made a name for himself as a knock-down 3-point shooter, earning him a spot in the A Shot for Life charity event.

He has been on the team for four years now, being the only player to be on the team for more than two years. He will continue his basketball success with the Colby Mules next year, and will bring them good talents with his pure athleticism.

Tim Minicozzi, one of Poul-

“This has been my favorite team by far during my time at Rivers,” he says. “This is the closest we have been off the court and has translated to our success on the court. We love being around each other and making growing with each other that much easier.

Additionally, all five starters have scored over 215 points this year and we really share the wealth on the court which makes the games that much more enjoyable.”

This enjoyment is plainly visible on the court. The team plays unselfishly and with great

chemistry, and Poulton, like others, is just as happy to make a great assist as he is to splash a corner three.

Real contenders in New England prep basketball are led by great captains, and Poulton takes his responsibility seriously. “I didn’t know what to expect as I am the only captain this year, but this group has made my job that much easier,” he says. “Everyone wants to do what is best for the team and wants to win, making leadership that much easier.

Everyone focuses on being elite in their role and that ultimately has led to some of our success this year. (Coach Zalazski) and I interact on a lot of things, and Z has given us the tools in practice to play free and with pace during games.”

While Poulton is a talented player and leader, it’s all about the team. “So many people have made such great jumps this season from last year, which is remarkable to see,” he says.

“Jayden Njdigue’s development from last year to this year is simply impressive, and can even see those jumps happen throughout the season. He has helped as a leader and has a bright future ahead of him.”

This boys’ basketball team is very exciting to watch. The team is surely one to remember with Max Poulton at the helm of a talented and cohesive group. They have a chance to go all the way, and for Poulton and the others, the sky is truly the limit.

Freshman Chase Holzman of the varsity ski team heads down the GS course during the team’s race on Jan. 19. Photo by H. Carswell ’24. with no snow to work with, the affected the Rivers ski team. skiers had to pivot. Instead of However, as Head Coach Ross skiing early on in the season, the Gormley mentioned, the team team worked on building up their has been able to look on the strength and endurance through bright side. dryland practices, including “As a team we had to make yoga. This helped them be in the many concessions to Covid,” best shape they could be when Gormley said. “It’s good to they were finally able to ski. be back to a new normal this Another challenge the team year. Things resemble our preencountered was the effects of pandemic life a little more as Covid-19 on the ski mountains. we resume our normal practice Nashoba, the team’s practice times.” destination, has struggled to Despite these challenges, the find enough staff, resulting in team has been able to continue administrative mistakes that have on with their season, making the

best out of the conditions they have. A typical practice consists of leaving the Rivers campus at 5:00 pm on buses headed to Nashoba Valley. Before races, the team usually makes an appearance at Linden to grab a quick team dinner. They usually ski for about an hour and a half, running gates and receiving feedback from Gormley and Assistant Coach Matt Knortz. Finally, the team usually returns to Rivers around 8:30 pm.

The team’s hard work and discipline has paid off. The Rivers Alpine Ski team has 12 members currently; however, they are small but mighty. Captains Kerfoot, Stuart, and Graham Johnston ’23 led the team this season, creating a fun, supportive, and productive environment.

“I love being on the team,” Kerfoot said. “It’s a really fun and encouraging atmosphere and not stressful at all.”

As a result of the team’s hard work, the skiers have been able to improve and grow as individuals and as a team throughout the season. As Gormley mentioned, “We, [the team], have a number of racers doing really well right now, so a goal will be to help build their confidence to keep their momentum going.”

The Rivers ski team ended the season strong with their NEPSAC race on Wednesday, Feb. 16th. The skiers drove up to Waterville Valley, New Hampshire, on the Tuesday night before the race, spent the night, and prepared for race day.

The two styles of ski racing that the team competes in are giant slalom (GS) and slalom. GS is a style of racing that requires more speed compared to slalom which requires shorter and sharper turns. The Rivers boys’ alpine ski team took home gold, placing first in the NEPSAC Class B championships. Besides the team’s win, there were some individual successes as well. The youngest team member, eighth grader Lizzy Stuart, came in first in the slalom race and second in the GS race, while her older brother Charlie Stuart ’23 came in 2nd in the slalom race and 9th in the giant slalom. In addition, Jack Dineen ’23 placed 10th in the giant slalom race.

Whether dirt or snow, powder or ice, the Rivers alpine ski team has crushed the slopes this winter. While the season may be over, to keep up with the team and their many accomplishments, make sure to follow @riversalpine on Instagram.

ton’s senior teammates, praises Poulton for his leadership and character and his myriad of contributions to the team. “He is the only one who has played a normal, full season on our team, so his leadership, guidance, and experience was really valuable throughout the season,” Minicozzi says. “He embraces and encourages his teammates, which helps everyone on the team perform at their highest level.”

And what separates Poulton?

“He is a really smart player,” Minicozzi says. “And always makes the right play for the team.”

For the senior star, this year’s campaign has gone almost as well as expected.

“The season has been extremely successful,” Poulton says. “We have really come together as a group as the season has gone on, and put together something rather special. We finished 19-5 and go into NEPSAC looking to win our 20th, 21st and 22nd games to cap off the season.

This is the first time in my tenure at Rivers we have had a home NEPSAC seed for playoffs and we look forward to having the Rivers community with us during the playoffs.”

The Red Wings first playoff game is an ISL matchup on Wed., March 2 against Governor’s Academy, who they beat 70-53 earlier in the season.

Given his four-year varsity status, Poulton has more perspective than any player on the team.

Senior co-captain Max Poulton has been a major contributor to the boys’ basketball team since freshman year. Photo by John Hurley.

Alpine ski team finishes well at NEPSAC championships

BY ELIZABETH LAPIDES ’25 CONTRIBUTING WRITER

As ski team captains Meghan Kerfoot ’22 and Charlie Stuart ’22 speed through the race course with their perfect form, it’s hard to tell them apart from 2022 Olympians Mikaela Shiffrin and Tommy Ford. Carving their way down the mountain, the Rivers alpine ski team may be loaded with future Olympians.

With the absence of a normal 2020-2021 season, the Rivers alpine ski team members have been eager to hit the slopes for over a year. Last year, the team was not able to compete against other ISL schools, and all races were canceled. Although the team missed out on these opportunities, they have been more than ready to get back to their normal routine this season.

Despite a happy return to racing, the alpine ski team was confronted with challenges early on in the season. Because of the warm temperatures throughout last fall and December, snow was scarce and conditions suffered.

In past years, the team had been able to start skiing in mid-December, getting a head start on developing their race technique for the rest of the season. But