The Argo - 2022-2023 Edition

The Argo

Introducing the New Editors- in- Chief a short glimpse of the leaders of Prep’s news

By: Juliet Bou Mansour’23 Feature Section Editor

A new school year, a new season of The Argo, THREE new Editors In Chief. Seniors Christopher Kaleekal, Keyon Majidi, and Siya Angras are our esteemed trio for this year’s Argo, and I am more than happy to properly introduce them to you all.

Christopher Kaleekal has been writing for The Argo since his freshman year (dedication!). He was the editor of the Arts and Entertainment Section his sophomore year,

Classes were in session. Morning meeting was led by the lovable yet light-hearted school president. To the unsuspecting eye, it was an ordinary Friday at Rutgers Prep, but to members of the Class of 2023, it was game day.

The long-awaited senior faculty football game had arrived. It’s been a staple at Rutgers Prep for decades and a tradition for the faculty to leave the 12th graders with a parting defeat. This year, however, the seniors had other plans. For weeks, they designed plays, filmed an electrifying hype video, and trained vigorously so that once the first whistle blew, they could teach a lesson of their own on the field. When the game began, there was palpable energy on both sidelines. The faculty scored on their first drive— the unlikely yet surprisingly dynamic duo of Mr. Quenault and Mr. Kuchar connected on a trick-play passing TD. Mr. Kuchar, a former star player and coach at the high school

the Science Section his junior year, and now an Editor-in-Chief. Besides the newspaper, Chris plays in the school’s Chamber Orchestra and runs on the Varsity Cross Country Team. A leader outside TheArgo, Chris leads Fusion Ensemble and Operation Smile Club :))). Next, not extremely well known at prep, Keyon Majidi was the editor of the Sports section last year. He divides his time in mock trials and heavily enjoys

AP Government. Keyon devotes a majority of his time attending Prep sports games to show avid school spirit and yell at the refs, his only hobby. He’s also the school president, if that makes any difference. Last, but never the least, Siya Angras was the editor of the Opinion Section last year. A leader of GEM club and GO club, Siya has completed an independent study on the effects of imperialism on South Asia, and wrote a (very emotional) piece

for a blog called “Project Heal.’’ She’s also been Vice President of the class of ‘23 for the last two years. So you can thank her and me for setting the expectations for how Prom should be for years to come. While it will be hard to submit my work to these three for the next year, I do know that they all deserve this position, and have proved it time and time again. So let’s give a very warm welcome to our new EICs, and wish them best of luck this year.

The Seniors v. Faculty Football Game was it a fair win?

By: Keyon Majidi’23 Co-Editor in Chief

level, was especially motivated to win the game after spending his summer tirelessly writing recommendation letters for the class of ‘23. The seniors were not ready to back down though.

Coaches Juliet Bou Mansour and Taylor Repollet decided it was time to rally the troops. When they were done snapping clipboards and breaking tables on the sideline, they delivered an impassioned speech that had their players all but ready to run through a brick wall for their team. It seemed to have worked because on the next drive, Jadin Collins broke free for explosive run,

gracefully weaving through the middle-aged defense to tie up the game at seven apiece.

As the game went on, it felt like the faculty had settled in and the seniors were playing a sloppy brand of football, falling behind by multiple scores. What ensued next, however, can only be characterized as a beautiful chess match.

Selah Anderson, who’d spent sleepless nights engineering the seniors’ offensive strategy, was locked in a duel of intellect and she was not prepared to lose.

She analyzed the opponents’ defensive adjustments and orchestrated an aerial attack that placed the ball in the hands of Demi Osinubi for a receiving touchdown. Suddenly, the seniors were within one score. The game was winding to a close and the gentle autumn breeze had strengthened to a cutting wind. The seniors needed seven points to equalize, but with the football in the faculty’s hands, only a miracle could do it. Luckily, the seniors had an ace up their sleeve. Just as Jake Riggi had joined the

class late a year ago and saved junior year, it was time he pulled off another late-game revival. Jake stepped onto the field for the first time with just minutes left on the board and took off on a nearly full-field pick-six that knotted up the score. Not only did he keep the seniors alive by sending the game into overtime, but he disproved anyone who says you can’t both be athletic and devilishly handsome.

In OT, a series of controversial events that call into question the legitimacy of the tradition decided the game in favor of the faculty. Nonetheless, the class of 2023 etched its name into RPS history for a game that spoke to all their defining strengths: communication, perseverance, and most of all, an unrelenting commitment to one another.

What really is Chanukah?

The common perception is that it’s just a Jewish play on Christmas. Some know the supposed miracle of one day’s worth of oil burning for eight days. In reality, the holiday is much more nuanced than ei- ther of these views.

Before the gifts, meno- rahs, latkes, and dreidels, there were the Maccabees - a family of Jews who fought back against the Syrian occupation of Jerusalem and their Temple. Even though they were outnumbered, they miraculously drove the Syrians out of their temple, where they found their ner tamid eternal light extinguished. Upon relighting the ner tamid, they found they only had enough oil left for one day. This inadequate measure of oil proved to be more than enough, as it lasted eight whole days. According to some, the Rabbis of the era deemed this a minor holiday, meant to celebrate lights, keeping the “flame” of Judaism alight and most importantly bringing families together. Other accounts argue it was a forgotten holiday. Regardless, Chanu- kah was not the powerhouse of holidays back then that it is today. You may be thinking how did this become a quintessential Jewish holiday?

In part, it was due to Eastern Europe- an Jews immigrating to the United States and wanting to show their newfound success with material items. Additionally, it’s due to the imposing and unavoidable nature of Christ- mas. Jewish families felt left out, especially the children. Chanukah falls during Kislev in the Jewish Calendar, which is usually some time during November or December. With this timing in mind, early 20th century Jewish families began celebrating Chanukah much like their Christian contemporaries. With gift giving, decadent meals, and fancy decorations, Chanukah morphed into

Holidays

Chanukah

By: Jesse Kleinman’23 Staff Writer

Best ThanksgivingHolidayPie

By: Raina Desai Food Section Editor

Fall has begun, and one of the best ways to enjoy the sweater weather that fall brings is by savoring a pumpkin pie. The following recipe presents one of the best pumpkin pie recipes.

PREP TIME: 10 mins COOK

the modern perception of “Jewish Christmas.” So, this still leaves the question of what Chanu- kah really is. To me, it’s a time to get together with my family, eat greasy food, and be thankful for everything I am blessed with. Had you asked me ten years ago, I’d have said it’s just our version of Christmas, meant plainly for the gifts. Others, particularly older generations, may say it’s a reminder of the struggles and changes Jews have faced as immigrants. This is the beauty of Chanukah; there’s no truly set meaning, nor is there a “right” way to celebrate it. As long as you’re with your family, cheery and thankful, you, too, can celebrate Channukah

The New Year’s Resolutions

By: Leela Menon’25 Staff Writer

Have you ever failed to achieve a new year’s res- olution or heard the phrase, “new year, new you”? If the answer is yes, do not fret; many people have failed to achieve their new year’s resolutions ,and there is a darker reason behind it: impossibly high expectations. Many people see the new year as a perfect time for self-improvement, but some aim extremely high for their resolution. It is unrealistic to expect to transform oneself just because it is a new year. This can lead to many people failing to complete their new year’s resolutions and experiencing a feeling of hopelessness. However, many do not create these resolutions without some underlying motive or

reason. Currently, there is an abundance of societal standards, fueling the desire to improve and achieve, especially in the age of technology, with social media to compare oneself to others. People see the new year as a great potential gateway to achieving these standards. Companies, especially advertisers, realize this and use it as a time to exploit millions of people. One of the largest examples of this is gyms. There are societal stan-

dards that claim people have to have the “perfect figure,” which leads many people to strive for an impossible goal. Several take the new year as a time to achieve their goal, mainly through signing up for gym memberships. According to Statista, 50% of these resolutions made are health-related goals. Nearly 50% of these people give up their gym membership after January. Gyms are aware of this and use this time to promote themselves with deals

for the New Year to bring in more people. Some gyms even give memberships to more than the gym can hold, but gyms know these resolutions do not last. Gyms do this through advertising and promoting instant wellness and an “ideal body” as new year’s resolutions. Resolutions are not necessarily bad, and the new year can be a great time for self-improve- ment. However, do not expect to complete your resolutions instantly or have impossible sky- high standards; resolutions take time and can be made anytime. It’s always a good time to start self-improvement, not just the new year, so do not feel pressured by everybody else.

TIME: 50 mins

TOTAL TIME: 1 hr(s)

Amount: A full 9 inch pie - 8 servings

Ingredients: 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree 1 (14 ounce) can sweet- ened condensed milk 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1⁄2 teaspoon ground ginger 1⁄2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1⁄2 teaspoon salt 1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust Whipped cream, for services

Directions: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Whisk pumpkin puree, condensed milk, eggs, cinnamon, ginger, nut- meg, and salt together in a medium bowl until smooth. Pour into the crust. Bake in the preheat- ed oven for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 de- grees C) and continue baking until a knife inserted 1 inch from the crust comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool before serving. Add whipped cream on top for some extra flavor. ENJOY!

image via chadbad.org

image via CentraCare.com

images via nytimes.com

image via parade.com

image via hebcal.com

Holidays

The White House Celebrates Diwali

By: Megan Lehal’26 Staff Writer

Diwali, the celebration of lights, is one of the largest and most well-known In- dian holidays. After being celebrated for over 2,500 years by three major re- ligions, Hinduism, Sikh- ism, and Jainism, it has hundreds of deeproot- ed traditions that are celebrated by Indians and thousands of others around the world. Since 2009 under the presidency of Barack Obama, Diwali was brought to the White House and has been celebrated for 13 years under three different presidents. This year’s celebration was the largest it has ever been as the current Vice President has Indian roots. Vice President Kamala Harris welcomed her home in DC to hundreds of others as she decorated it thoroughly with strings of lights, bright colors, and the smiles of the attendees at the celebration. A video posted to Instagram shows hundreds of people, young

image via nbc.com

and old, smiling outside holding sparklers just as dusk approached. Although the sun began to set, the buzzing energy thrived well into the dark. In addition, the White House also cele- brated Diwali. On October 24th, the largest celebration of Diwali ever in the White House took place with over 200 guests partaking in the lighting of a diya, a cer- emonial lamp. The diyas that are placed represent the success of light over dark, good over evil. They also are meant to be used to bring good luck and prosperity because in some areas of India, Diwali marks the beginning of the New Hindu Year.

Having Diwali celebrated in the White House is shows a huge change from positions of author- ity. It sets the example that Americans that prac- tice Hinduism Americans deserve to have their culture known and celebrated. Some members of the prep community have said “I felt like my Indian heritage was being offi- cially interwoven in the American social tapestry at the highest level and it made me feel even more inclusive and proud to be an Indian American” and “After hearing about this celebration it made me proud to be an Indian American.” Diwali becoming a public school holiday in New York City shows that Hindu

The True History ThanksgivingBehind

By: Kavya Kartik News Co-Editor

Around this time of year, families across North America gather at their dinner table to feast on turkey and mashed potatoes and remember what they are thankful for; however, there is more to this idealized version of the holiday we all know and love. As children, we’ve learned that the friendly Indians welcomed the lost Pilgrims to coexist on their land. They had dinner, taught them the way of the land, and forfeited their land to these foreign people out of the goodness of their heart. This is the amicable story we are told every year around this time of year; however, it is time to face the true history of Thanksgiving.

In September 1620, the Mayflower transported 102 Pilgrims seeking religious freedom from Plymouth, England. After their 66-day journey, the Pilgrims settled across the Massachusetts Bay and began establishing a village at Plymouth. Here, they were met with the native people of this land, including members of the tribes of Abenaki, Pawtuxet, and Wampanoag. What many remember as the first Thanksgiving is the Great Dinner that these two groups shared with

holidays are finally being appreciated as most days off for public schools are either Christian or Jewish holidays. This change coming in 2023 is a step in the direction of inclusivty as it is one of the largest and most celebrated Indian holidays. This change coming in 2023 is a step in the right direction towards inclusivity, so that American culture is reflective of all its citizens

The BestRecipeHoliday

By: Raina Desai Food Section Editor

Peppermint Bark Recipe Courtesy of Sara Welch If you are craving a chocolatey and peperminty dessert, this is the recipe for you!

PREP TIME: 5 minutes COOK

TIME: 10 minutes CHILL TIME: 30 minutes TOTAL TIME: 45 minutes

Amount: 16 servings

Ingredients: 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips or chopped semi sweet chocolate chips 16 ounces white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract 3/4 cup crushed candy canes

each other after their first large corn harvest, but this story is interlaced with violence and oppression. The Wampanoag and the Pilgrims maintained an alliance for about 50 years; however, it was tainted by exploitation, the spread of disease, and colonial expansion, eventually leading to war.

History, as many are led to believe, does not actually start when the Europeans came to America but rather thousands of years before with the Native Americans. A few of the Wampanoags actually already knew who the Pilgrims were due to prior contact with Europeans, revealing the nature of their “alliance.” The story of the Mayflower and the harmonious sharing of cultures is a glorified story we like to tell to cover up the blood and violence Europeans have inflicted on the people they stole their land from. The version of Thanksgiving many of us like to believe does not address all these years of suffering of the native people of America, and although it is a holiday I personally have come to associate with gratitude and family, it’s crucial to recognize its true history.

Directions: Place the semisweet chocolate chips in a medium bowl and microwave for 30 second increments until melted. Stir until smooth. Spread the chocolate into a roughly 9x 13 rectangle on a piece of parchment paper. Place the chocolate in the fridge for 15 minutes to set. Place the white chocolate chips in a medium bowl and microwave for 30 second increments until melt- ed. Add the peppermint ex- tract and stir until smooth. Spread the white chocolate over the semi- sweet chocolate layer. Top with candy canes. Let harden in the fridge for about 20 minutes or until the choco- late is completely set. Remove from the fridge and let the bark sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Cut or break into pieces and serve. ENJOY!

2022-2023

Out of all the clubs offered here at RPS, there is a new one that truly stands out as unique and remarkable - The Dungeons and Dragons club. Upon walking into Mr. Foil’s room for the start of the meeting, many students rushed ahead of me to get into the classroom. I was almost confused; I’ll admit that I didn’t quite know much about the new D&D club, let alone the entire game process.

However, this changed when I walked in and was kindly approached by Katherine Guo ’23, who explained how D&D works. She said that D&D “is a tabletop roleplaying game where you(the player), the other characters(or players), and the Dungeon Master create a story together using your characters and actions that happen to the characters within the game. You also explore fantasy worlds and go on grand adventures.”

RPS Today

Introduction of the RPS D&D Club

By: Matthew Telyczka Club/RPS Today Editor

Each adventure, she mentions, is unique. After this brief discussion, I felt surprised but mostly impressed that a brand-new club had already gained so many members. I was a little intimidated by the chaos when I entered the room. Everybody was doing their own thing – setting up for their session, working on production(essentially, production is the process of making the game more fun by enhancing art/ creation), or simply observing the players. I was observing. I found that amidst the shouting, the background noise, and the fantastic narration by Mr. Foil, this club was a space where anybody could be anything. According to the club presidents,

Nathaniel Martin ’24 and Jaden Mendez ’24, the club was created as a safe space where you get to escape from workload and stress for an extraordinary twenty minutes. So far, the club has 30 members who are either playing, waiting for the chance to play, learning to be Dungeon Master (this person runs the game), or doing production to make the game more fun for the players. The current players have just started their adventures with their parties. Nathaniel Martin also added that the club leaders “[We] try to have everyone help out with something -- that’s why most of the members

that aren’t playing are diverted to our production crew.” Martin also highlights the club’s members and how grateful he is to have such an understanding and helpful environment as he leads

Cricket Club

By: Jesse Kleinman’23 withquotesfromVikrantPalaparthi’23,RithikMandalapu’23,andJakeRiggi’23

“RPS Cricket Club is not just a club but a representation of the cultural diaspora of this school,” Rithik Mandalpu said when I asked him about it. For those of you who don’t know, cricket is a bat and ball sport much like baseball where the objective is to score as many runs as possible in a set number of balls. Invented in England but popularized across the globe, cricket has become the second most popular sport in the world according to WorldAtlas. This past year, we aimed to bring a little slice of this sport to Prep’s campus. At first, we organized games on a weekly basis and formed our own tight knit group of students. We decided to form our own league, with 4 teams of 6 dedicated players each, captained by Vikrant Palaparthi, Rayaan Sheikh, Brendan Coulthard, and Rithik Mandalapu. Two games a week and lots of planning culminated with a playoff series and championship

game on May 25th. We played hard, and we took these games seriously, but what ultimately mattered most was the connections we made. When I asked Vikrant, our founder, what these last few weeks meant to him, he said, “ Cricket is my life and it feels good to share a little bit of that world with my mates and see them enjoying it. You see kids who’ve never picked a bat up before suddenly fall in love with the game. The genuine competitiveness of the tennis ball tournament made it a joy to run as well.” We were able to bring countless students of all races, backgrounds, and ethnicities together through a sport that is broadly unknown in America. Coming into this season, most of our players had never touched a bat, didn’t know the rules, or didn’t even know what cricket was. “Cricket Club

is incredibly open and accepting, making the sport of cricket easy and fun to learn. Cricket Club made my transition into the Rutgers Prep community much easier,” new student Jake Riggi said.

As the commissioner of the league and a co-founder of the club, I couldn’t be happier with how this last year turned out. What started as a joke last spring has become a reality in our eyes and in our hearts. On behalf of myself and the rest of the leadership of RPSCC, I would like to thank Mrs. Burk for her help in organizing a location for us to play, Mr. Lake for his help as our advisor, and Mr. Hussian for the use of his classroom space and his never ending dedication to helping us succeed. With that, we invite you all to join us come see what cricket can

Poetry is known as an expression of the feelings and artistic values of a person. And in the form of a book, current student and junior Beth Portnoy has donated her two pieces of herself, “Lorem Ipsum Dolor” and “The Sunday of Summer,” to Rutgers Preparatory School’s library. Beth’s poetic journey started in the seventh grade, where she would eventually fall in love with the freedom it gave to her and look up to writer Christopher Paolini: an American author who published his first book at 16 years old. From a young age, Beth made it her goal to publish a book before her role model’s record, eventually succeeding just a month before her 16th birthday.

Her first book, LoremIpsum Dolor, was a progression of finding herself, and represents the theme of old to new. The title translates to “The pain itself”

The Rutgers Prep Girls Soccer Team is the NJ Prep B State Champs. Being on the team, I have to say it was no sur- prise the girls made it to the State Finals. It was freezing outside, but the weather couldn’t stop the girls soccer team. We were all nervous for this huge game. After having a great run throughout the season, the girls were ready to show DePaul who the state champ is. This game was revenge for the unfortunate loss last season, one that nev- er should’ve happened. Syrai Parker ’24 was in goal, ready to not even give the other team’s offense a glimpse at a goal, especially with Bri- elle Baker ’25, who helped every position with get- ting the ball across

Student Spotlight: Newest Young Author Beth Portnoy’s Work in RPS Library

By: Kelli Chang’25 Guest Writer

in Latin, which Beth notes that her use of Google translate was frowned upon by the Latin teachers of Rutgers Prep. The first half of the book, titled “I remembered,” covers the theme of nostalgia, reflecting on Beth’s past memories, such as watching the trees in her neighborhood slowly grow with the years. The second half, titled “I conquered,” represents coming of age. In contrast to the first half, it is written with a more personalized style and tells the story of progression and the growth of the narrator.

“The Sunday of Summer” records Beth’s daily life through poems for the month of August. She notes that August is like the Sunday or weekend of the year, leading to the imminent doom that is the school year, similar to how Sunday brings the impending doom of school work. Each poem reflects the emotions felt and events of each certain day, all of them unintentionally forming a plot. Through writing this book, Beth notes that she underestimated the number of occurrences happening in

a month, and is currently working on a similar, larger project spanning the course of an entire year. After both collections were finished, Beth chose an independent method of publishing the books, creating the format and book covers herself. Determined to spread her work and message, Beth emailed Dr. Chodl, to ask for her books to be added to the school library for students to read. Since then, both books have been sitting welcomingly at their new home at the Rutgers Prep Library, sure to inspire new authors.

Rutgers Prep Girls Soccer Wins States

field and was a force to be reckoned with, and Ava Mason ’26, who kept composure during such a big game and contributed to this brick wall of a defense. DePaul struggled to shoot while we did not.

Arianna Peart ‘25 and Ellie Robertson’25 connected the field, relentlessly running back and forth to keep up with the fast pace of this game. Meli- na Rebimbas, returning from her World Cup was confident in the team— without her, the team would lose its charm and composureand Addison Halpern, only a sophomore who never fails to make every game hers, are the perfect offense. Throughout the game, Rutgers Prep was dom- inating, but we were not able to finish through.

By: Siya Angras Co-Editor-in-Chief

It made me consider checking the goalpost to see if someone had rigged it. By the second half, the game was tied. And nerves were even higher. Halftime was stressful, but empower- ing. We all knew whose game it was.

Olivia Rob- inson ’26 and Alexa Lee ’26 all had a great game, nothing shy of what they had shown us all season. As freshmen they have already stunned every- one, and I cannot wait to hear about what more they do in future seasons. The upperclassmen and captains Alexa DeBarros’ 23 and Hailey Huseth’ 23 played their last HS game with strength. They left all they had out on that field. The final score was 3-1, the goals having been scored by Addy (1) and

Melina (2). But every girl on the team had some contribution to this win. As the manager of the team, I have to say the team is determined, supportive, and loving. I am so happy we got the title we worked so hard for. Get ready to see a whole lot of state champ rings in the hallways because the Girls Soccer team will wear them with pride.

Excited to beat Christopher Paolini’s record, Beth notes that “There is a time when you stop looking up to your heroes and start trying to beat them.” Her ultimate aspiration is to someday make it onto Rutgers Prep’s Wikipedia list of notable alumni.

PLAYING YOURSELF REVIEW

By: Siya Angras ‘23 Co- Editor-in-Chief

The fall play, written by Ms. Cora Turlish, explored Gen Z’s life today. It centered around an ice cream shop, The I.C. Cas- tle. This ice cream shop was a safe haven, away from the struggles the group of young adults faced in the outside world. Whether it be moving to a new place, struggling with school, or dealing with a breakup. The play also discussed topics such as COVID Impact and school shootings. But throughout all these hardships, the I.C Castle gave the characters stability. The production of the play was great. I have to commend the work of anyone who helped out behind the scenes. The transitions between scenes were seamless, and the set was beautiful. The actors were phenomenal as usual. Every play, the cast sets the standard higher for the next seasonal play. Anika Ganesh’23, played the lead role; her character Vini- ta was compassionate, strug- gling with troubles under the surface, but a beam of joy. Anika com-

formed into this character. Taylor Repollet’ 23 played Vineeta’s friend, Liv. Taylor brought vulnerability to this comedic play. She played a character struggling with grief, and one scene in her monologue really moved the crowd. Ryan Bathan’23 played Vineeta’s fake boy- friend but real love interest. This relationship can only be explained by what Laura Jean and Peter Kavinsky had in To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before Ryan played the role very well. His aspirations to go to Duke should’ve stuck with the crowd of Seniors probably avoiding doing their college apps as the play was going on.

Michael On-

yekwere ‘23 and Cory Lucid ’24 played a couple with an uncomfortable age gap. But they were enamored with each other. The two characters were complemented with Aanya Jeganathen ‘25 ‘s character going through a breakup that was constantly mentioned. The IC Manager, played by Jay Chavan’ 26, was the most stable character in the play, constantly yelling and eventually getting caught in his own ego. I can’t say I wasn’t upset when he was fired. Last but not least, the most phenomenal character... the tik tok dancer. Each time she came out onto the stage the crowd screamed louder and louder. Overall,

I think the play had a bunch of great individu- al scenes. The actors played their roles to the fullest. The puns had the crowd laughing, sometimes when we weren’t supposed to, but I think that demonstrates great act- ing. Great job to anyone in- volved in this production!

TheAddamsFamily: the Pit Perspective

On October 13th, 2022, it was revealed that this year’s musical would be The Addams Family. Aspiring cast, crew, and pit orchestra members all gathered together for the announcement, and the anticipation for the next few months of preparation was almost tangible. This was my second time being part of the pit, and I couldn’t wait for another chance to create something amazing.

It was great to work with my fellow musicians again, both veterans and newcomers. We had even less rehearsal time than last year, and there were several pieces that we just couldn’t get right, rehearsal after rehearsal. However, with Mrs. Peterson’s guidance (and mid-rehearsal donuts), we managed to run through the book a

By: Jaden Chen’23 Science Co-Editor

few times before winter break. Little by little, we got a grasp on the music. During two rehearsals in late January, the cast came to sing with the orchestra as part of the Sitzprobe. This collaboration brought about a whole new array of problems with timing and dialogue, but it was a great feeling to finally make sense of the tricky rhythms and harmonies we’d been struggling with for months. Everything finally started coming together. But large events like the musical are never that easy. As the week of the opening night came around, Deyana Abelhady, playing the lead role of Morticia, became sick and lost her voice. Her role was taken up by her understudy, Niara Beckwith,

who only had those few days to memorize lines, learn songs, and practice choreography with the rest of the cast. Despite all these challenges, Friday night was just around the corner, and there was nothing else to do but put on our best possible performance.

All I could think of during the shows were our mistakes. On Friday, the piano decided to stop working right as Mr. Seamon, the music director, had to give a crucial cue. Lines were spoken too quickly, skipped, and mixed up, and everyone had to adjust on the fly to keep the show smooth. I missed entrances and played the wrong notes more than I could count. However, looking back, I only remember the beautiful songs, emotional acting, and hilarious

jokes. Michael Onyekwere’s performance as Gomez was a perfect blend of passion and silliness; Jordyn Sutton’s portrayal of Wednesday and rendition of “Pulled” were incredible; Justin Moore as Fester sung “The Moon and Me” beautifully; Ren Lian and Cordelia Lucid pulled off Mal and Alice’s dynamic in “Crazier Than You” perfectly; and, of course, Niara and Deyana both stole the spotlight as Morticia.

This was my last musical at RPS, along with a dozen other cast, crew, and pit members, and the final show on Sunday came to an emotional close. We gave our production staff gifts and expressed gratitude for their unwavering support and kindness. Though we might never have another experience like this, the memories that we made are priceless, and I will never forget the 2023 RPS Musical, The AddamsFamily

The RPS Art Club has been working extensively on The Memory Project, a non-profit that first started out as a way for students across the country to create art for underprivileged children in various countries around the world each year. Through cultural connections, students are able to create portraits of youth who have faced difficulties such as war, poverty, and famine. This year, the country is India, and artists have been matched with children living in foster care. The children will be given a portrait of themselves at the end, and the overall goal is to help children feel valued and cared for in a way that expands beyond words or charity.

About 21 students, many advisors, and leaders have been involved in the process of organizing participation across members of the club.

Memory Project Brings RPS Artists Together

By: Matthew Telyczka Arts and Entertainment Editor

In particular, students have different styles that go into each art piece, and no two pieces are the same. For example, while some students are designing portraits, others are working on art pieces related to something that the children are interested in.

Each artist is given a description of a child’s name, age, personality, hobbies, and interests. Through this project, students are able to see that they have a global impact. Even if it is a simple drawing or portrait, it goes a long way in bringing joy and putting a smile on children’s faces. Ms. Falzon, RPS’s new art teacher, points out the importance of this project. She is impressed and inspired to see many students using art as a way to connect and spread love and support. But most of all, she sees that it captures a feeling of empathy. Students are forced to put themselves

in the perspective of the children they are drawing and imagine what their reality is like in order to make their audience feel seen. In Ms. Falzon’s words, “Art has the ability to create connections which transcend language and culture.”

This is why the Art Club at RPS is a crucial example of how students will always have an impact on the world. The leader of the Art Club, Jennifer Hua, started the club because she felt it was needed at RPS. “I wanted to have a place where people could enjoy artistic activities in between classes,” she explained. Art is

something Jennifer always has appreciated, and she enjoys all the time she spends with it. She loves that everyone in the Art Club also shares that same joy and, most importantly, that they are using a shared love to better the world around them.

Argo Archive: Introduction

By: Leela Menon’25 Staff Writer

The Argo Archive has come to Rutgers Prep, and dare I say, this arrival is historic! The Argo Archive is a club, or rather a branch, connected to the History Club here at RPS. The idea of the Archive was created by Serena Li ‘22 towards the end of the last school year and became active in the 2022-2023 school year. The club is run by Mr. Cohen, Rachel Wanagosit ‘23, and Victor Zhang ‘24 in the DeSantis Room in the library. The club meets Tuesday and Friday during the ninth period and Wednesday during community time.

Rutgers Prep is the first independent school in the country and having been founded in 1766, is over 256 years old. Our school’s rich history is one of its many wonderful traits.

The Argo, which was founded in 1889, is a way for students to document history. This student-run newspaper has recorded historical events, from our very own teachers being drafted into World War II to John F. Kennedy’s assassination and far more. The Argo also has no shortage of information relating to our own past, such as the old football team, gymnastics team, sophomore bowling, and arguments regarding the dress code. The dress code articles discussed a variety of styles of the different eras, ranging from allowing blue jeans in school to remarks about the dress code in general.

The goal of The Argo Archive is to scan all of the old Argo articles. Eventually, these articles will be uploaded for all Argonauts to enjoy, as history is essential and can be entertaining to witness. So far, the club has finished over 300 articles from 1883 to 1997 and onwards. There are still many more articles to be scanned, but The Argo archivers are hard at work, saving and making history.

image via Istock.com

art created by Sherri Wang’24

art created by Marin Rizzo’24

2022-2023

Message from the Class of 2023

On behalf of the class of 2023, I would like to thank each and every member of the Rutgers Prep community for the support and love throughout the years. To the faculty and staff, thank you for showing all of us the wonders that true intelligence and care can create. Each member of the Rutgers Prep community is equally valued and that would not be possible without our teachers, coaches, mentors, and admin. Our peers have inspired us to be our best selves. We will take the lessons we learned and the bonds we created with us. As we move onto become alum, we wish our younger peers the best of the luck! We are forever greatful for how Rutgers Prep has impacted our lives.

The 134th Editorial Board of The Argo

Editors-in-Chief & Layout Editors: Siya Angras’23, Chris Kaleekal’23, Keyon Majidi’23

News Editor: Kavya Kartik’24, Sanjog Dandona’24

Feature Editor: Juliet Bou Mansour’23

Opinion Editor: Jennifer Bekos’23, Yuhe Wei’23

Club/RPS Today Editor: Matthew Telyczka ’24

Arts & Entertainment

Editor: Audrey Qian’24

Sports Editor: Michael Chang’25 and Sushant Lebaka’24

Food Editor: Raina Desai’23

Technology Editor: Logan Gill ‘23

Faculty Advisor: Mr. Cary Griffin and Dr. James Morgart

Special Thanks to Ms. Burk and Dr. Loy

Interested in submitting an article, taking pictures, or drawing graphics? Have a complaint or concern? Notice an inaccurate fact or statement? Reach us at theargo@rutgersprep.org Volume