Belfield Banter Vol. 9

Jan 28th, 2021

Vol. 9

BELFIELD BANTER THE

Th e S t . Ann e’s -B el fi el d S choo l S tud en t New s l etter

In This Issue:

A REVIEW OF TAYLOR SWIFT’S NEW ALBUMS: FOLKLORE & EVERMORE

productive throughout these difficult times. In 2020, Swift and her team produced and released not one, but two transcendent albums, entitled Folklore and Evermore respectively. Both exclu-

STUDENT POETRY: “Poem two,” by SK STUDENT ART: “Wisp” and “Fresh” RACISM AND THE DEATH PENALTY FACULTY FEATURE: Ms. COLLEEN BELAK

Happy 2021 from the Belfield Banter!

Stay Safe!

A Review of Taylor Swift’s Folklore & Evermore

by Q. Fu – “A tiny screen’s the only place I see you now and I got nothing but well wishes for you” —Dorothea, Taylor Swift I can confidently say that almost all of us have listened to, or at least heard of, Taylor Swift. This artist is surely one of the most popular in recent memory, known for her turbulent relationships, exciting stage performances, and extraordinary music. During a year reviled by many, Taylor Swift’s creative projects may have constituted some of the happiest moments of 2020. Quarantine has hit everyone differently.

While being physically isolated from the rest of society may have dampened my spirits, Taylor Swift evidently remained resolute and

Folklore album cover sive collections consisted of seventeen songs with twenty studio sessions and official remixes spread across each album. While during a first listen, the new music might sound insipid and bland, the lyrics eventually sweep over you with their compelling stories and beautiful orchestrations.

During her 2014 tour of Red, Taylor Swift mentioned that she often begins writing a song by thinking about all the things she wanted to say to someone, but never could. She takes all these missed opportunities, and weaves them into poetry, telling her story with lyrics. Storytelling has always been one of Swift’s strong suits, winning her nationally recognized awards since childhood.

Now that she’s older, her compositions have only developed to be more profound and mature, as seen prominently in both albums. Each individual song has its own storyline, but certain verses overlap to form a new canon, entirely original to these two albums. Throughout Folklore, Swift endears her audience with complex characters in a series of powerful and relatable romances, and most of the cast Swift introduces in this album (Betty, James, Inez etc.) have cameos in Evermore, as well.

In contrast to Swift’s prior work, both Folklore and Evermore lack the catchy melodies commonly [cont p2]

Jan 28th, 2021

found in many of her early songs.

The tracks are calm and soothing, but do make it difficult for new listeners to truly understand her new music. However, the challenges presented by the deeper elements of her songs are important, and demonstrate a favorable change in the genre of pop music. In comparison to Swift’s typically energetic break-up songs, Folklore and Evermore carry more mature energy with which to take her audience on a sublime musical journey.

If you have not already, I strongly encourage you to listen to Evermore and Folklore. It might not be the type of music one immediately connects with, but it feels ideal to listen to while winding down at the end of a long day. Swift’s soothing melodies and intricate lyrics always manage to put me into a state of composed tranquility, and I hope they will do the same for you.

Special thanks to my friend Katherine for helping me out with this piece.

Vol. 9

Racism and the Death Penalty

by Hannah Laufer – In the wake of Dustin Higgs’ death, it is important that we understand the origins of the death penalty in America.

The criminal justice system of the United States is inherently flawed and tremendously biased, with one of its largest blemishes being the government’s continued use of capital punishment. The death penalty is legal in twenty-eight states, and 1,529 people have been executed since 1973 alone. Those who fall victim to the death penalty are often people of color, sexual minorities, and individuals without much money at there dispense. In fact, our modern conception of the death penalty is derived from the history of racial lynchings in America. As 42% of inmates on death row are black while African-Americans simultaneously make up only 13% of the U.S. population, the racist roots of capital punishment seem prominent.

Activists have even nicknamed certain rural areas the ‘death belt’ to aptly characterize the unusually high rates of incarceration and employment of the death penalty in parts of the South such as Tennessee. Interestingly enough, the current map of states allowing the death penalty is predomenantly lit up by states that seceded from the Union during the Civil War. As of 2021, for example, Texas uses capital punishment more than any other state, with Virginia trailing at its heels.

“Poem two”

by SK – I find the wind so odd I find it so odd indeed The way it smells of so many things Yet cannot at all be seen One day the smell of childhood Sweeps right beneath my nose And as I breath in I swear I’m back To the times that were happy and slow Pre quarantine Pre self hate regime Pre all things hard and new The wind carries with it A soft quiet reminder That all you can keep is being you drawn accompaniment by Zara Craig

[cont p3]

In the 1972 Supreme Court case of Furman v.

Gerogia, the death penalty was actually found unconstitutonal, but within less than two decades, it was reinsated on the federal level in 1988. Just six years later, the Federal Death Penalty Act of 1994 expanded the amount of capital offense to approximately 60.

Jan 28th, 2021

Vol. 9

really was solidified in graduate school, where I focused on students in all of my papers and any of my research in class. I was always trying to talk about students, and rather than being on the other side of the desk in admissions, I wanted to partner with students in their process.

Jack Dozier: What do you like to do for fun?

Ms. Belak: I have a dog, Winnie, and I spend a lot of time with her. My boyfriend and I like to walk a lot, so we will typically go for long walks on the weekends. We like to go hiking around here, and see really anything that’s pretty.

In short, the death penalty has been a source of great controversy in the twenty-first century, and as scholars and lawmakers continue to slowly debate this contentious issue of human rights, people are sentenced to death every year. It is time to examine the racist roots and implications of capital punishment before more individuals are thoughtlessly killed.

FACULTY FEATURE: MS. COLLEEN BELAK an interview with Jack Dozier Ms. Belak started at STAB this year as Associate Director of College Counseling -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Jack Dozier: Are you new to the Charlottesville area?

Ms. Belak: I am new to the Charlottesville area. I was previously living in Chicago and then Boston for a year, so larger cities, and I was really excited about the idea of coming to a smaller town where it was easier to get around, and everyone knew each other. I am originally from Louisville, Kentucky, so Charlottesville, while still a little smaller than [Louisville], felt a little bit more like coming home.

Jack Dozier: What made you interested in working in education?

Ms. Belak: I worked in college admissions for five years, which was my first foray into education as a career. After those five years, I knew it was what I wanted to do, and so I did my masters in higher education, and that is when I knew I wanted to work specifically with students. I knew I would be working in education, but the student-facing work

Jack Dozier: What are the differences between working at a college as opposed to at an independent school?

Ms. Belak: The college I worked at was a lot larger, so while the setup has some similarities, the way that people know each other and are able to thus support each other is quite different. It is also a lot easier to partner with students, you are all here where in college it is a lot harder to track students down. It’s nice here because the community is really built-in.

Jack Dozier: What have you been doing to keep busy during the pandemic?

Ms. Belak: I have certainly watched my fair share of Netflix, like the rest of the world. I have been cooking more than ever, and trying new things, like this month we are trying a pescetarian month. It is kind of fun to test yourself that way, and it gives you something to look forward to when you come home. On the weekends, we do the bigger meals.

Lo o k o u t fo r o ur w ee kly ed i ti on s con ti n ui n g thi s s pr i n g!