Belfield Banter Holiday Issue

The Belfield Banter December, 15, 2023

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The St. Anne’s-Belfield Student Newspaper

Environmental Column: A Sustainable Gift Giving Guide

The Spirit of the Door Decorating Competition

by Sonia Kamath

by Rose Ryan-Byrne

— With the holidays fast approaching, the banter staff is delighted to offer you the very first article in the environmental column of the newspaper on sustainable holiday gift giving. Consider the following 3 ideas for more sustainable gifting this holiday season!

— As we go into the holiday season, we are reminded of the festive traditions that take place here in our community at St. Anne’s Belfield. From Lessons and Carols to the kindergarten sing-along to festive spirit days, there is much to look forward to during this upcoming week!

Wrapping: For sustainable wrapping, there are two options I suggest. The first is called furoshiki, a technique in which presents are wrapped using fabric such as scarves, towels, or clothes. The second more common method is using old paper items such as grocery bags and newspaper for wrapping. Both are effective, but ultimately furoshiki is my preferred method as the fabric can be reused each year, and looks much nicer overall.

Thrifting Going to a thrift store to shop for gifts is an Thrifting: amazing way to avoid purchasing and supporting the over consumption of new goods. If time or location is an issue, and you prefer to shop online, sites like eBay and Facebook marketplace are good options as long as you do your research on the product and vendor.

Supporting local thrift shops is always the best case scenario, but arguably any thrift outlet will be a more sustainable choice than a big retailer.

However, few traditions truly bring out the competitive spirit of the students as the annual advisory door decorating competition. Each advisory finds themselves spending days in advance preparing themselves for the fierce competition. From scouring pinterest boards for inspiration, or going to Micheal’s in search of supplies, many dive head first into the spirit of competition. Some, like my freshman yearself, spend an embarrassing amount of time dedicated to the cultivation of the masterpiece that became our door. All of my effort spent did not go to waste as our third place finishing proved all the more sweet. For me at least, the most impactful part of this tradition would have to be all of the time spent with your advisories. This time allows you to forge closer bonds with the competitive spirit bringing an opportunity for connection amongst your peers.

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Dec, 15, 2023 Experience Gifts: Gifts Finally, for the gift giver that hopes to be more sustainable, but also for the gift recipient that seems to have absolutely everything, an experience gift makes a lot of sense. A quick google search will generate not only ideas for experience gifts, but also apps and websites specifically designed for this style of gift giving. Whether this means you plan an outing with someone, put money towards a class they’ve been hoping to take, or purchase a subscription to an app to teach them a new skill, these gifts are often as cost effective as you make them. They range in price and extravagance, and don’t require any new unnecessary physical items be purchased.

At the end of the day, sustainable gifting is just one way of re-examining the role consumerism plays in your holiday experience and attempting to lessen that impact. It doesn’t have to involve sacrificing the overall feeling or experience of the season! It is simply an exercise in being more conscious of the role your individual actions play, and personally I have found it to augment my intentionality and connection rather than create more stress or diminish the gifting process overall.

‘Tis the season: Holiday Celebrations Around Our Community

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I know that there is much anticipation revolving around the final products of this door competition.

But more importantly, we should all take pride in our final creations and have fun with our advisories, no matter the final outcome of the competition.

Book Chat: A Jane Austen Biography

by Cadigan Perriello — As it gets colder, I find myself turning to books more often. A wonderful classic author to look into as a break approaches is Jane Austen. Born on December 16th, 1775, Jane Austen of Hampshire, England remains one of the most prominent novelists and literary figures to transcend time. Austen focused on themes of femininity, romance, marriage, and gender structures in society through all six of her novels, each exceptionally well-written. Austen could truly capture the dramatic society of 18th century England and represent it through her dialogue and plots. Though some may argue her leading themes of marriage and romance prove her inner misogynistic mindset, a deeper dive into her novels reveals her inner unhappiness with societal structures and an exceptionally unique intelligence.

by Caspar DeVink

— Christmas trees are going up, the menorah is lit, and hot chocolate is brewing. Here at St. Anne’s-Belfield School, our diverse student body and faculty celebrate a wide array of holiday cultures and traditions. We wanted to highlight the traditions of some community members starting with Henry Jones ‘25 opens one present early on Christmas Eve. The present, a pair of pajamas, is worn during the night of Christmas Eve into Christmas morning while opening presents with his family. Justin Bartholomew ‘25 celebrates South African traditions, including eating Braai for lunch. Braai is similar to a South African barbeque, a practice used for centuries. Due to Christmas being in the summer, it is customary in South Africa to spend Christmas at the beach with friends. Mr. Stoner, a Charlottesville native, also has his own Christmas Eve traditions. Every Christmas, his family gives “gag gifts,” which come with a story that connects to something that happened to the person that year. After the gift-giving, his family sits down for Christmas Eve dinner, which always includes Yorkshire pudding and a Christmas Eve dessert.

Jane Austen never married. She had seven siblings: six brothers and one sister, Cassandra. Cassandra was unarguably the most prominent and closest to Jane Austen, and their letters to each other are the reason historians have so much knowledge of Austen’s inner thoughts. Neither sister married and, especially considering Austen’s critical focus on marriage in all of her novels, the single ladies shocked society’s social structures. However, this lack of a husband was not something Austen desired in her life; most historians argue her novels represent her longing for a marriage of love and luck which she never found in reality. Austen was proposed to have a spatter of suitors throughout her years. However, from unluckiness or lack of desire, none of them tied the knot. As she progressed through life, moved from Steventon to Chawton, lost family members, published six novels, and wrote countless letters, Austen never experienced what she valued in her novels as vital to a satisfying life: marriage.

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Dec, 15, 2023 Mr. Ross celebrates Jewish traditions surrounding the holiday Chanukah, the more traditional spelling for Hanukkah. His family lights two menorahs each night of Chanukah. One is traditional with candles which Mr. Ross inherited from his mother. It includes a candle that has been lit throughout his childhood.

The other menorah is a ceramic electric one that uses flickering light bulbs which look similar to flames.

Mr Ross’ grandmother, who enjoyed making art in her free time, painted it, and it was always special to him because he’s never seen anything like it. So each Channukah, when Mr. Ross’ two kids light these menorahs, Mr. Ross says he can feel his mother and grandmother there with him.

These are just a few of the many interesting traditions hidden in our community which bring magic to the holidays!

Modern Athletics: Referee vs.

Computer with NCAA Football Updates

by Ari Kastello and Carter Kelly

— Within the past years, the sports world has begun using more and more technology. The smaller role new technologies play in officiating the games perhaps sets football apart from many other popular sports.

Generally, this difference has nothing to do with lacking the technology, instead it’s a choice. As we move forward in the development of these technologies, understanding the way they stack up against a referee will continue to affect the future of athletics.

Referees made an immense impact on the history of sport where they often determined the winner of a game. Football still trusts two poles and a set of chains along with the referees’ judgment to make the many important calls throughout a game. This difference between having a computer and a referee is highlighted by the importance of overturn penalties and calls made and the thought that goes into game altering decisions in football. But arguably more importantly, it makes football games more interesting to analyze as football is the most bet on sport in the U.S. With that, here are our predictions.

The NCAA playoffs are beginning with four teams and a notable exception. The teams that made the cut this year are the University of Michigan at number one, Washington University at two, Texas at three, and the University of Alabama at four, despite placing 8th on the NCAA’s rankings. The notable exception is Florida State University, the winner of the ACC, and one of the three teams with a perfect record. It lost its spot in the top to Alabama, a strong team lacking the 13-0 record.

However, they come from the very competitive SEC and had a difficult schedule. While FSU has had an easier schedule than Alabama, the main driver of the controversies is the fact that FSU is ranked higher.

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Austen was always above her expected intellectual abilities, however, she never received a full proper education. Her intelligence stemmed from her ability to watch and capture true society in her writings and her desire to fuel her education through reading and writing. She began writing her first novel, Sense and Sensibility, in 1795. After reading it to her family, Jane Austen did not attempt to publish this novel immediately and began her second novel Pride and Prejudice in 1796. Pride and Prejudice, to this day her most famous novel, became the immediate favorite. She finished her novel and then returned to Sense and Sensibility, heavily revised it and completed it, having two novels under her belt. Those novels represented Austen’s higher level of wit than those around her through her semi-autobiographical character of Elizabeth Bennet. Additionally, the novel represents another main aspect of Austen’s life: sibling rivalry. Both novels are rooted in sisterhood with glimpses of rivalry for money and marital power, not so dissimilar to Austen’s own home-life. Though she never wrote an autobiography, Austen’s ability to intertwine her personal life experiences through various characters in her novel illuminates information about her personal life we wouldn’t know otherwise.

During 1798, Austen began writing her third novel, Susan, now known as Northanger Abbey, her first Gothic Romantic novel that represents an ability to span styles. Jane’s brother Henry helped her sell the copyright to Benjamin Crosby, a London publisher, for just ten euros. The novel, however, did not see the light of day until after Austen’s death at 41 as the publisher kept the rights but did not believe the novel worthy of publishing. After multiple moves and ceaseless emotional turmoil, she finally became a published author in October of 1811.

Throughout the rest of her life, Jane Austen wrote three more books, with varying levels of autobiographical aspects and published four of her six novels. She published anonymously, as most female authors of the time. Over her entire life, Austen made the equivalent of $70,000 today for all of her novels.

Jane Austen’s ability to capture 18th century society and relations as well as her unparalleled intellect have allowed her novels to transcend generations and inspire genres, movements, and individuals.

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Dec, 15, 2023

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“Sprite Cranberry” Review: It’s the thirst, thirstiest time of the year!

by Hadley Booth and Sebastian Laza

The number one ranked University of Michigan is the favorite over Alabama. The team has one of the best defenses in the league, only allowing an average of 6 points per game. Alambama’s strong offense and play-caller Jalen Milroe. However, Alabama’s strong offense may not be able to beat a Michigan defense that is ranked as one of the top in the league. On the other side of the bracket is the 2-ranked University of Washington against the 3-ranked University of Texas Austin. Washington has the best resume this season on paper, 13-0 with multiple wins against ranked teams. But, UT has had a very strong season with good players however, they lost to twelfth-ranked Oklahoma, earlier in the season. Despite Texas beating Alabama before, we think that Washington might win this match. Let’s see if we are correct, and enjoy the games!!!

Local Holiday Activities

by Lovissa Price — As the holidays approach and favorite pastimes are compromised on account of the increasingly cold weather, I decided to compile a list of fun, somewhat local activities for the upcoming break and rest of the winter.

A Christmas Carol at the American Shakespeare Center in Staunton: This annual play at the Blackfriars Playhouse is an astounding rendition of Charles Dickens’ classic short story. The production plays on his intended themes of musicality and overall holiday spirit. While this is definitely a realistic portrayal of the original story, it also incorporates songs, dancing, and some modern puns to result in a very festive atmosphere that immerses the viewer into 19th century London during Christmas. For those unfamiliar with the story, a moneylender named Scrooge is led through various Christmas time events by the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future to be introduced to the happy spirit of the holiday. This is known to be a heartwarming experience and a true Christmas classic. This event requires a ticket purchase beforehand which ranges from $27-64 per person and runs every Wednesday through Sunday until December 30th.

— What’s the American staple of holiday drinks during the holiday season? The answer is clear, “Sprite Cranberry.” We decided we “wan’a Sprite Cranberry” so we purchased the 20-ounce bottle of the popular soda, available October through December, and reviewed the flavors, rating them on a 0-10 scale. In our review, we took note of the flavor profile, consistency, and our constructive critics. However, more of a background is required to truly understand the global impact of “Sprite Winter Spiced Cranberry.”

The renowned “Sprite Cranberry” first came out in 2013 when the Coca-Cola Company released the product along with a “Zero Sugar” version and a “Freeze” version (only available at 7-Eleven) in the United States. A defining moment for the beloved beverage was when it retained “Meme Status” due to the release of the song “Sprite Cranberry,” by Lebron James and DRAM. After this pivotal time, the soda rebranded by changing its official name to “Sprite Winter Spiced Cranberry,” though it is still widely referred to as “Sprite Cranberry.” After the increased recognition for “Sprite Cranberry” post-2017, the Coca-Cola Company reportedly paid Lebron $16 million for a 6-year deal for Sprite Cranberry ads. After the animated version of King James was released in 2017, the flavor reached great popularity being headlined by the phrase “Wan’a Sprite Cranberry?” which is recited by a claymation version of Lebron. He propelled “Sprite Cranberry” to its renown today with the famous line “Wan’a Sprite Cranberry”. Newer “Sprite Cranberry” ads do not feature Lebron unfortunately because of his deal with PepsiCo, making him the new face of Mountain Dew. While the newer advertisements for “Sprite Cranberry” do not have the same appeal, they still draw in consumers to the winter soda market that is essentially untouched by any Coca-Cola competitors. It could be possible in the future to see a Mountain Dew ad with Lebron saying “Wan’a Dew Cranberry” which would lead Coke and Pepsi in direct competition to control the limited edition cranberry soda market. Therefore, Lebron’s movement between brands increased economic competition, furthermore making him responsible for the large success of “Sprite Cranberry” and fellow soft beverages during the holiday season.

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Dec, 15, 2023 Dominion Energy GardenFest of Lights at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond: This Central Virginia-area necessity and a holistic experience involving a lights show is the perfect immersive arts experience to invoke holiday spirit. This event has been named the #1 “Botanical Garden Holiday Lights” in the US by USA Today and is highly recommended by many annual visitors. The botanical gardens feature miles of illuminated spectacles as well as hot chocolate, s’mores, model trains, and special events until December 31st. Throughout the season, this will also be a venue for the Concert Ballet of Virginia’s performance of The Nutcracker, The Greater Richmond Chorus, SPARC’s touring Ensemble, and many more performances. While touring, visitors can also stop at the botanical garden’s cafe and tea house for delicious “Dinners with Santa,” “Espresso-A-Go-Go,” and “Santa Brunch.” The Dominion Energy GardenFest is reservation only and tickets range from $8-$17 depending on the night and guest’s age.

The Ice Skating Rink at Generations Park in Bridgewater: This is highly recommended for people who are looking for more interactive activities in winter and is perfect for a winter break relaxed-but-active enterprise. Although this is a bit of a drive, it’s definitely a fun destination and perfect for a lively outing. This rink requires absolutely no experience and offers skate rental at the door, meaning it is beginner-friendly and low commitment. It can also serve as a venue for fun wintertime parties with hour-long rink rental times. Admission is $6 plus an additional $4 for skates and is open every day at varying times until the beginning of March.

Magic on the Mall at the Downtown Mall: This classic Charlotesville tradition will certainly brighten your holiday spirit with the many activities and special events offered on and around the Downtown Mall.

This year, they will be bringing back the Holly Trolley, “Selfies with Santa,” and the enormous Christmas tree at the pavilion. As one of Charlottesville’s more iconic traditions, the Holly Trolley is a fantastic opportunity to see what the town has to offer. It is essentially a thematic bus that takes guests on a tour of the festive illuminated houses around town. The festivities will also feature weekly holiday markets in which dozens of vendors will sell their handcrafted products each Saturday on the mall. Most importantly, in accordance with the “Peppermint Trail,” you may visit cafés and diners around the mall area for special candy cane themed desserts to collect at least three code words to redeem a prize. Most Magic on the Mall is officially free, however, the Peppermint Trail items will have a cost.

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At the first crack of the top, the bubbles fizzed to the top in a flavorful frenzy. The carbonation was more than your typical soda. Taking note of our other senses, the liquid is a clear color, and it smells like the standard, limey scent of Sprite. However, the smell is also enhanced with a slight florality. We sipped the cranberry drink, and the undertone within the standard Sprite was a fruity flavor, but one might not describe it as “cranberry.” As you sip, the fizz engulfs your tastebuds and the texture becomes shockingly thin, almost thinner than water. The aftertaste is when the light cranberry flavor presents itself, although not as apparent as one would expect. The drink is also sweeter than your average sprite. The best way to describe this experience is a fizzy, fruity flavor that is welcoming to all soda lovers.

With this inviting experience, we would like to pose a few recommendations to the Coca-Cola Company to continue to grow the effect of Sprite Winter Spiced Cranberry. To start, adding an eye-catching “Cranberry” color would increase buyer recognition, boosting sales. As of now, the labeling of the product reflects too much of a regular Sprite, so much so we passed multiple “Sprite Cranberry” products while trying to purchase our “Winter Spiced Cranberry.” Additionally, it would be beneficial to cultivate more of an iconic flavor of cranberries. As of now, there are certain unpleasant undertones of acetone which could be off putting to consumers.

In conclusion, is “Sprite Winter Spiced Cranberry” worth all the hype and publicity? One can only answer that themselves after they try it. However, we think that the cameos from Lebron, their viral song, and their publicity from social media only add to the enjoyment of the Coca-Cola Company’s holiday beverage. Despite some unsettling undertones flavor-wise, we believe that the “Sprite Winter Spiced Cranberry” is the best drink for the “thirst, thirstiest time of the year.”

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Dec, 15, 2023

Editor’s Note

by Lyra Stewart — Dear Readers, Happy Holidays! I’m thrilled to present you all with our third issue of the year! This Belfield Banter issue has a holiday focus. We have many exciting articles and some new writers including a piece on holiday celebrations around our community from Caspar de Vink. This issue also includes suggestions for local winter activities from Lovissa Price and tips on making gift-giving more sustainable with Sonia Kamath. We have packed a wide range of topics into this issue, from college football updates with Ari Kastello and Carter Kelly to a brief biography of Jane Austen with Cadigan Perriello. As the results of the door decorating contest are soon to unfold, Rose Ryan-Byrne reminds us of the importance of connecting with our advisories though the festive and competitive spirit and finally, Hadley Booth and Sebastian Laza give us an official history of “Sprite Cranberry” as well as their own opinion on and suggestions for the festive beverage.

I am so grateful for everyone who wrote for The Belfield Banter this issue as the holiday publications are always my favorite. As we move towards the long awaited winter break, I recommend asking your peers and teachers their favorite tradition around this time of year. Last year, I wrote an article similar to Casper De Vink’s, compiling a list of peers and teachers’ holiday traditions, and it remains my favorite article I have written because I learned so much about our community members.

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2023-24 Staff of The Belfield Banter Lyra Stewart, Senior Editor Rose Ryan-Byrne, Managing Editor Henry Dozier, Assistant Managing Editor Sebastian Laza, Assistant Managing Editor Cadigan Perriello, Associate Editor Sonia Kamath, Features Editor Lovissa Price, Assistant Features Editor Sofia Tache, Column Editor Carter Kelly, Assistant Column Editor Hadley Booth, Co-Sports Editor Annie Leahy, Co- Sports Editor Ari Kastello, Junior Editor Ezra Biggs, Junior Editor

Banter Publications Editor-in-Chief Izzy Sanok

It’s strange for me to think it’s already December of my senior year. Time flies! In a mere six or so months it will become June, so I hope we all take some time to pause and find joy in the little moments of each day.

Whether here at school, or with family and friends, be present and grateful for the wonderful people who may surround you.

I am so grateful for the peers I work with on The Belfield Banter staff and all the writers we have each issue. If you are interested in writing an article, please come talk to Izzy or I or email your article directly to lstewart24@students.stab.org and isanok24@students.stab.org as do with any questions! We are always accepting articles and love to hear new voices. I hope everyone’s holidays are filled with joy and everyone has a stress free break!

Best Wishes, Lyra Stewart and The Belfield Banter Editorial Board

artwork by Izzy Sanok Page 6