The Devil's Advocate Summer Issue 2019/2020

Devil’s

The

Advocate

Summer 2020

Joseph Abramo Brianna Abruzzese Samira Alam Lily Algeri Rahul Alla Robert Aloisi III Elizabeth Amaral Elijah Amosun Carley Ananian Michael Anthony Oluwamayowa Ariyo Morgan Arrigo Arian Askari Ana Paula Augusto Lindsay Baxter Breanna Began Seamus Bell Nicole Benjamin Maria Benny Melinda Beuchelt Douglas Bibbo Hari Biji Ashlyn Biundo Lindsay Bodi Alexandra Bonanno Taylor Breiby Bridgett Brown Kevin Buxton Grace Calandrella Michael Campagna John Campbell Gabriela Canales Aquino Gianna Carpenito David Centoni Tyler Chaires Cathy Chang Kevin Chen Christopher Choi Dilan Churchill Kathryn Collina Ella Colwell Bridget Conceison John Condon IV

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2020!

Katelyn Conley Dawson Coombs Sydney Cooperman John Cormier Jr. Heather Cornell Ana Luiza Costa Cameron Costa Samuel Cox Timothy Cox Sean Culhane Noel D’Amico Dominic D’Angelo Jacqueline Damato Eshaan Datar Judith Desmond Ryan Devereaux Shubhashree Dhital Brady Doherty Madison Duggan Hannah Elkins Clayton Fallon Michael Fazio Jordan Ferullo Justin Fitzpatrick Tyler Flaherty Kaitlyn Foley Julia Ford Alexx Francois Kaylin Frisaura Carly Frost Aida Gachago Seamus Gallagher Katelyn Ganshirt Jack Garrity Rachel Gavin Emma Gedick Thomas Gendron Caterina Gibney Samuel Gillis Mikaila Gnerre Aurora Golden Timothy Goneau Joicee Gordillo Michael Graham Madison Green

Rojit Gurung George Haddad Matthew Hanlon Sophia Hartling Richard Healey Keith Herlihy Veronica Hoac Eliza Hodge Wesley Hogan Manseeb Hossain Eric Hovsepian Brandon Huang Johnathan Hurley Kyle Inglis Jordan James Trevor Janis Adele Jingo Justin Joby Christopher Jones Kelly Joyce Shobhit Kadakeri Mandar Kapadia Sean Kaweesa Nicole Keddy Sean Kelleher Simona Kerekes Stefan Kolesnik David Kolifrath Piper Ladd Ryan LaPrise Nicholas Latsis Dylan Lechner Kenny Lima Jonathan Loiselle Julianna Lombardo Ryan Lubanski Matthew Luz McKenzie Lyons Joshua MacLeod Krista Magnarelli Keegan Mahoney Rudra Malo Christina Manners Alexander Markarian

Dafne Martinez-Colamnares Antonio Mas Ramirez Anna Mathew Clayton Mathieson Melanie Matossian Hayden Mattson Emma McCann Lucas McCarthy Jake McCauley Chloe McGonagle Kylie McGurl Thomas McIninch Ryan McLaughlin Chloe McSweeney Sophia Meimaris Michael Melanson Zhara Mohammed Michael Morcos Ryhan Mortuza Grace Muggale Muhammad Mullah Amelia Murphy Kiera Murphy Samantha Murphy Arya Nagraj Dhvani Nanavati Gabriella Nascimento Sarah Newhall Colin Nguyen Samantha Nicoloro Bridgette Nocella Tyler Norden Phillip Nurse Jr. Caroline O’Callaghan Robert O’Connell Ryan O’Halloran Analicia Padilla Hannah Pais Neha Panke Julia Papasodoro Patrick Pape

John Pascale Falguni Patel Jinal Patel Krunal Patel Prima Patel Ravi Patel Shiv Patel Varshil Patel Vishwa Patel Ranya Paul Jason Pellegrino Khyle Pena Emerson Perez Armas Nickolas Perfetti Jack Perino Nicole Perry Olivia Perry Carolyn Phair Nicholas Ponzini Alyssa Porter Sophie Quinn Grace Rakes Benjamin Ramirez Nithellen Ravi Spencer Reith Aaron Rippin Layla Robinson Ashanti Roeung Ben Rogozensky Drew Roper Elizabeth Rosa Dwigins Rousseau Ethan Rousseau Francesca Rubino Juliann Rufo Angela Russo William Ryan Jake Sarver Sydney Scali Sarah Schissler Jacquelyn Scola Kevin Sebastian Anna Vinita Seereeram

Anthony Semeraro Stavan Shah Saarim Shakaib Luke Shannon Molly Shannon Chieh-Wen Shih Kirina Sirohi Brendan Soohoo Anthony Squillini Marvin Ssempala Reacher Ssozi Alexander Stamides Nicholas Storlazzi Daniel Sullivan Sean Sullivan Marisa Sunnerberg Julie Surabian Kathryn Surabian Olivia Taranto Jason Tendo Naaz Thotathil Anastasha Torres Kendall Tremblay Ariella Tucci Leah Twohig Skyla Vaudo Joseph Vigliotta Luis Villalta-Santana Grace Visco Richard Vittum Jacob Vozikis Audrey Waisnor Madison Walker Colby Walzer Cameron Washisko Derek Webb Kevin Weng Kenan Wilson Hailey Wood Jason Wu

Editors and Writers of The Devil’s Advocate: Editors: Layla Ahmed, Veronica Chang, Max Fahey, Nusaiba Fatima, Samuel Harsanyi, and Maya Pandit Staff: Ahlam Abdirizak, Brian Conlon, Brunna Fernandes, Ella Grzelak, Meriam Hmina, Anya Mather, Luke McCarthy, Cynthia Nabisere, Leisha Peddu, Olivia Perry, Gabe Santiago, and Ella Tedesco Intention Statement: To provide unbiased and relevant information for the Burlington Public Schools community that is accurate and reliable Do you have any news tips? Send them our way by emailing journalism@bpsk12.org

News

The Devil’s Advocate

Summer Fall 2017 2020 page 2

Black Lives Matter Protests continue

By Cynthia Nabisere

People all across the nation are outraged about the death of George Floyd and how it came to be so they have organised huge protests across the country voicing their anger and pain.

On May 25, George Floyd, a 26-year-old black man, lost his life while on the ground, handcuffed behind his back, and three police officers put their body weight on him. One police officer in particular had his knee on this man’s neck and rested his whole body weight on Mr. Floyd for a full 8 minute and 46 seconds. During that painfully long time, George repeatedly said “I can’t breathe”

and “they are going to kill me, someone please help.”

Everything was filmed by angry bystanders as the cops restrained them from helping Mr. Floyd.

The video of George being killed by this police officer went viral and sparked a fire in many people from different races.

The police officer, Derek Chauvin, who had his knee on Mr. Floyd’s neck was fired from his job but did not have any crimes charged against him until the protesters continued to demonstrate.

He has since been charged with second-degree murder, second-degree manslaughter, and

third degree murder. The three other officers have been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

People have organized countless and daily consistent protests nationwide to get their voices heard.

Many people have driven or flown down to Minneapolis where Mr. Floyd was murdered. The protests have been going on for about two weeks now and they don’t show any signs of stopping. This includes a rally led by Burlington alums on Friday June 5 and an interfaith vigil on June 9, both on the Burlington Common.

The back of the State House, Boston MA, during the May 31 protest.

Photo taken by Ahlam Abdirizak

Response in Boston

By Ahlam Abdirizak

“No Justice, No Peace!”. A cry to Americans on the injustices that go unspoken, unsolved, to stand in solidarity for the innocent dead.

Many people have heard of a 46-year-old black man named George Floyd, who was killed by the Minneapolis police on May 25th.

Floyd was said to have brought a pack of cigarettes with a 20 dollar counterfeit bill. Two employees from the store demanded Floyd return the pack of cigarettes but he [Floyd] refused. The Minneapolis police were called by the man to get the cigarettes back.

Then, Floyd was arrested by the policemen and held down leaving him helpless. The officers pin Floyd his whole body down and left him unable to breath for alleged 8 minutes and 46 seconds.

Later on that day, Floyd

was pronounced dead from cardiac-arrest that could have been the direct cause of the brutal treatment.

There have been and will be more protest and unrest within the country in honour of his death and other people of color like him. This has been pushed mainly by the movement called ‘Black Lives Matter’.

In Boston, many have taken to the streets every night to share their thoughts of the injustices on that day and other days, other people before Floyd, dead.

This has only spread to all over the state from Cambridge, Worcester, Salem, Dorchester, Auburn, and here in Burlington. Many share the passion with their communities. Resulting in almost two weeks of protests, mostly peaceful.

But some protests took a turn for the worst. On Sunday May 31, a protest

was set to begin at Nubian square in Roxbury ending with the state house. It was peaceful and passionate, but after 9pm that changed.

Looting, destroyed property, and tear gas. That is how this night ended.

Fifty-three people were arrested, many questioning how the police handled the situation and protesters.

All this has happened and yet there are still many more protests set for later dates. Covid and the country-wide quarantine has given people free-time and fuel for outrage.

Now, Americans face illness and injustice for what it is without the distractions of a busy everyday life.

The people of Massachusetts have heard the cries loud and clear and will not let the police officers responsible for Floyd’s death go unpunished.

around the country in response to deaths Anya Mathur On May 25, 2020, George Floyd was restrained and killed by a Minneapolis police officer.

This event infuriated people around the country, and many took to social media to begin the spread of protesting.

Since then, many protests and riots have taken place. After five nights of mostly peaceful protests, people began to get violent.

Although the officer responsible for George Floyd’s death was put in jail, it was not enough. Protestors and people around the country wanted the three other officers to be put in jail as well because they did not do anything to help.

However, these protests are not only for George Floyd. They are for the other black men and women who have fallen victim to the violence of police officers.

Around the city of Minneapolis, buildings were being looted and set on fire.

Many people were injured, both civilians and cops, by the aggression from both

sides.

Anonymous, a group of hackers that are notorious for using their skills in hacking to benefit citizens, even came out of the dark and took down the Minneapolis Police Department website in a threat to stop aggression towards innocent African Americans.

Despite the outbreak of violence in certain cities, there were many protests that remained peaceful for as long as possible.

People marched together across the streets of cities with signs with the words “Black Lives Matter” and “Say His Name: George Floyd”.

Although the protestors were staying calm and trying not to instigate, the officers trying to keep everything under control continued to spray people with mace, shoot rubber bullets at people, and take people into custody.

There have been extreme cases of injuries inflicted upon protestors by officers. One man was hit in the eye with a tear gas cartridge, and had to go in for surgery to get his eye

removed. Other protestors have been injured by the pepper spray, rubber bullets, and other acts of aggression.

Many people have been helping out and bringing awareness to this cause, even some celebrities.

For example, Harry Styles, a pop singer, donated money to help pay the bail of those who were taken to jail during the protests. Other celebrities such as Ariana Grande, Shawn Mendes, Camila Cabello, and Ross Lynch were seen at the marches.

More locally, Mr. Sullivan recently sent out an email, stressing the words of Dr. Conti and Mr. Larkin.

“For the students, faculty, and staff of color, please know that your Burlington family is here to support you during this difficult time.” Dr. Conti and Mr. Larkin, Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent of Burlington schools, wrote in a letter to the students, families, and faculty members.

Student Voice: Interview Sarah Sendashonga, interviewed by Cynthia Nabisere I assume that you have been watching the news lately...what do you think about the death of George Floyd?

I think that it is a tragic situation and the way they let him die was pretty messed up.

When you heard that the police officer that committed that crime wasn’t charged with any crimes until people started protesting, how did that make you feel?

I am surprised because I didn’t think protesting was really going to do anything.

Why do you think that?

Because I think the police don’t take this kind of stuff seriously. I think they take it as a joke.

What is your reaction to the way the protests have impacted the whole nation?

I think it’s strangely different. I’ve seen things like this happen many times but the people’s reaction is very different from how it was in the past with other deaths caused by police brutality.

Why do you think it’s different from those other times?

I think they are just fed up with seeing things like these so they are upset about all the lives taken by police.

Do you think that the president is doing his job as a leader to handle the situation?

Do you think that his actions so far are what the people need?

NO, I think he should take a step back to see things in a black person’s perspective.

Especially a black moms perspective. These women have to worry about something as horrible as that happening to their kids. It is terrifying and causes a lot of anxiety and fear among families.

Thank you so much for agreeing to the interview.

No problem.

The Devil’s Advocate

Features

Summer 2020 page 3

BHS during the pandemic

Devil’s Advocate staff interviewed members of the BHS community, starting with the question “What have you seen in Burlington during this pandemic?”

Responses have been condensd and lightly edited for clarity

Keza Gachago,sophomore, interviewed

by Brunna Fernandes

Kyra Floyd, freshman, interviewed by Brian Conlon

What have you seen in Burlington during this pandemic?

Things I’ve seen in Burlington lately are coronavirus awareness/safety signs or videos and people wearing masks/gloves.

Do you think school will start in September?

I TRULY hope so. Sadly, there hasn’t been any news to give me hope or allude to the end of miss rona’s reign.

Everybody is just stumbling in the dark right now.

Have you had time to practice any hobbies?

Surprisingly, I’ve picked up drawing more. I’ve always loved drawing so I decided to draw as much as I could and it is very therapeutic.

Do you think people should be able to see their friends?

No, everyone needs to social-distance.

Ameyaa Kayastha, freshman, interviewed by Ella Grzelak

What have you been seeing around Burlington during quarantine?

People walking their dogs like it’s a normal day although they always stand out[since they all wear masks.

Have you been out doing similar activities^? Do you typically wear a mask when you go out?

I’ve been doing spring clean up, and physical activity indoors. I like going outside on a nice walk for the fresh air. I only wear a mask when I know they will be close to other people. I had to wear a mask while walking at the Boston Common because there were more people than expected there.

Will you normally do outdoor stuff with your parents or on your own?

Usually it has to be with parents if I’m out walking but I can be on my own if just in my front/backyard.

What will you typically do while in the yard?

I go to my backyard to clear my head, listen to music, spike my volleyball on this slope we have.

Any Spring sports you were planning on taking part in before school was canceled?

No spring sports - I play volleyball in fall and work the rest of the year.

How have you been feeling about remote learning?

I’ve realized there’s less homework now than we’d get in a normal week. I miss “ some of my teachers and their bad humor, but I dread history because it gives the most work out of all her classes. I don’t mind the rest of the work, the rest has been manageable. I honestly have gotten a lot of free time remote learning and am kinda loving it. Only part is, I miss seeing my friends.

Is there anything you do to remedy missing your friends and extended family?

I have a weekly zoom call with dad’s side of the family.

I also go to Netflix parties with friends, and we would watch movies and the shows Legacies, Never have I Ever, and Riverdale How do you feel about having the virtual meetings?

Necessary? Waste of time? Good way to see teachers and students you haven’t seen in a while?

It’s definitely a good way for teachers to see kids. Lots of kids skip though. I feel like the classes should be mandatory and help in other ways. I want it to feel like we are still learning in a classroom. The meetings are definitely not a waste of time.

Any last thoughts?

My screen time has gone up. I’m spending a lot of time on my laptop and iPad because there aren’t any worksheets to do.

What have you seen in Burlington during this pandemic?

During quarantine, I have seen many people trying to spread happiness in many forms such as painting things, giving others plants, and signs for people’s birthdays.

Photo taken by Brian Conlon

Srija Sundaraneedi, freshman, interviewed by Anya Mathur

What have you been noticing that’s changed in Burlington since the beginning of this quarantine?

People have definitely started taking quarantine way more seriously which is good and besides that just less people on the roads How have you been able to keep in touch with your friends while maintaining social distancing?

Basically just FaceTime and text How have you been occupying your time?

I’ve been trying to keep in touch woth people as much as possible and spending time with family... Playing football and boat games with them Has distance learning been going well for you?

Yeah I mean it’s definitely been getting harder but that’s a good thing I suppose What do you think the most difficult part about distance learning is?

Not being able to ask teachers things as easily What are you looking forward to most for when the quarantine is lifted?

Just to see people again and go out places

Ava Brehm, freshman, interviewed by Brunna Fernandes

How do you feel about social distancing?

I don’t mind social distancing but miss my friend and family.

What is the biggest thing quarantine has changed for you?

The biggest thing that has changed is mainly my sleep schedule.

How long do you believe quarantine will go for?

I believe that quarantine will go to July.

Do you think you as a person have changed at all during quarantine?

I have not changed because of Covid.

How do you feel about school being [remote for the rest of the year]?

I feel happy about because I can work at my own pace.

Desire Oteba, freshman, interviewed by Brunna Fernandes What have you seen in Burlington during this pandemic?

People hanging out on multiple occasions.

What are you looking forward to after quarantine?

Hanging out with my friends and family and just having regular interactions.

Have you started doing things you would not normally do out of quarantine?

I started working out because there is nothing else to do.

Has quarantine affected your sleep schedule? How? Yes it has because I have been going to bed at 4 and waking up at midday.

Have you learned anything during quarantine?

I’ve learned how to start an online business.

Do you have any concerns about the safety of you and your family with the virus spreading?

I do have certain concerns because I have seen some people that do not have masks or gloves on when my family and I go out and that makes me worry for their safety and mine.

How do you feel about the stay at home and social distancing orders?

I feel that the stay at home and social distancing orders are very important to keeping people safe and healthy during these tough times. I also believe that the government should enforce the rules even more than they already have because it is going to keep getting worse and worse if people do not stay home and prevent [physical] interaction.

Tell me about how distance learning has been for you.

Online school has been a pretty tough journey. Not just for me, but for many other kids too. The amount of work keeps going up and so do our levels of stress. Other than spending time with family and doing my own hobbies, school work has been taking up a lot of my time and has been stressing me and my family out. I don’t get to spend much time with them and when I do, I’m panicking because of the amount of work that I still have left to do by a certain time.

What have you been doing with the increase of free time that you have in your days?

Most days in my free time, I have been painting and working on creating an etsy store to keep myself busy.

Rachel Nicolas interviewed by Cynthia Nabisere

What have you seen in Burlington during this pandemic?

I’ve seen a lot of social isolation but also I think the pandemic is making people more aware and more alert on the news. It feels as more people are attentive and listen and see what is going on in the world. It has brought people together that way. It aslest in my family.

How do you feel the pandemic has affected people in the community emotionally and mentally?

I feel like it has in a sense made people more stressed out and are showing more signs of anxiety. They want to be distracted from the pandemic but they have many responsibilities that they don’t tend to because of the pandemic.

How has this pandemic affected you as a person and your mental health?

It has affected me because I am a pretty social person and the fact that I can’t see my friends or see the people that matter to me. Because of this, my anxiety levels have been high.

What are some actions you have taken to deal with the anxiety and stress that you feel?

Ive distracted myself by trying out new hobbies like learning a new language and binge watching netflix shows. My favorite hobby is watching all the disney movies again. Those one are a major stress reliever.

If you could see anyone in the world right now and it would be safe, who would it be and why?

There are so many people that I want to see so this is honestly a hard question but I would say my dad because he lives all the way in Boston and since the social distancing thing, I can’t see him and I miss him terribly.

Features

The Devil’s Advocate

Summer 2020 page 4

What to do now during continued distancing???

By Cynthia Nabisere During this time of panic and isolation, a lot of people don’t know what to do since they are staying home 24/7 and are only getting out when necessary.

Many people don’t have an idea what to do with all the free time that has been given to them. Many are stuck at home with loads of work and a lot more responsibilities because they have kids or family members who need constant attention now.

As we are all desperate in the situation for relief from the stress and the worry, I would like to introduce a few ideas that u have been doing to keep me sane.

Yoga First on the list is Yoga!

If you have never considered Yoga, this is a perfect time to try it. Yoga is known to be the most relaxing thing you could try to do because there is no pressure to it and it follows your pace. You decide how fast you want to move and how slow you want to move with your lessons. It is also a fun family activity to do.

The kids and family members will love it and will be very happy to engage in it.

Arranged FaceTime activities This has got to be one of the greatest things that has happened and has brought people even closer during

this pandemic. Planning something like watching a movie together through the Netflix Extension and having a virtual ‘movie night’ with your friends will definitely make you and them very happy. This is sure to decrease your stress levels as I have tried it and have felt relaxed.

I have talked to Jade O’Hearn, a student from Newton North, who lives far away from me but also participated in FaceTime activities with her friends.

“It is a great way to keep friendships going and to encourage one another during this pandemic,” Jade said. “We feel involved in our lives and feel connected to each although we are separated at the moment.”

Based off what she said, I would recommend that you try this idea with your friends if you haven’t already because it’ll make you feel better.

Family Project If all the things above still don’t sound interesting to you, you definitely might want to try to create a family project. Find something that you can do as a family that would need constant care and participation daily.

For example try gardening, renovating a room, or making masks and home made stuff for your neighbors or people in need. This activity is more long-term but

and even involving a friend to help motivate you is really helpful because not only are you keeping your body active and your mind alert, you are killing off a lot of time and helping your body grow stronger which will make it easy for it to fight against germs and viruses.

Photo by Kevin McCutcheon on Unsplash will definitely provoke a strong bond in the family and will bring everyone happiness at the end. Not only do you feel proud doing it at the end, you have made a difference in the world and have shown kindness beyond measure.

Drive By As you have probably seen on the news, people have come up with these ideas of drive bys. What they do is, they drive to a friend’s or family’s house, stay in the car, and encourage one another. I have witnessed a drive by and

Another way to social-distance

The Grzelak family decided to take their social distancing days up a notch. They spent the day in Gloucester viewing extravagant waves and snapshotting tide pools. Later, they went kite flying on a Rockport beach. It was a great safe way to enjoy some classic New England-y areas.

Photos and story from Ella Grzelak

the person visited was very happy and they began to shed tears. Drive bys are a way to not only get out of the house and get some fresh air, they help people stay connected with one another while making sure to keep a safe distance and stay safe. They also encourage your friends and family and bring happiness to everyone.

Working Out There is nothing that’s going to satisfy you more than walking out of quarantine with a six pack. Formulating a workout routine

Cooking Class Trying out new recipes at home isn’t for the faint-hearted. If you are looking for something more exciting and fun to try at home, cooking lessons with chefs like Gordon Ramsey will definitely do the trick. Not only will you be able to make a delicious meal for you or your family, it will get your blood running in the morning and your brain ready to go. You finally have the time to try that diet or food you wanted to try but didn’t have the time. Be careful to not burn the house down, and be safe. Make sure that the kids are far from the kitchen as you are preparing as things might get hectic and someone might get hurt.

Make sure to stay safe and wash your hands frequently when cooking.

Learn a new Language.

SInce many people are stuck in the house with a lot of free time, they might have done all the things above. If you have or might not be interested in those

things, behold my last but certainly not least option.

The slogan of the Babbel sums it up: “Learning a different language is not just about learning a new language, it’s about learning a new culture, perspective and seeing things in a diffrent/new point of view.”

This app helps people learn new languages faster and get to speaking fluently in no time. I definitely agree with this statement as I myself have attempted to learn a new language. It is very awesome to get to learn and explore different cultures while mastering language. It is very satisfying and creates a sense of pride because it takes time and consistency.

Read a new book Reading a book will open your mind up to different realities and perspectives as well. Books are adventures waiting to be discovered and knowledge ready to be found. Sitting down and reading a book will not only make you smarter, it is a nice calm way to wind down when the day is done. It is indeed very relaxing and highly recommended by man.

I hope this was a help to anyone reading and I hope this makes your quarantine worth while! Stay safe, stay positive and don’t forget to wash your hands!

The Devil’s Advocate

Features and Opinion

Summer 2020 page 5

AP classes for sophomores: benefits and drawbacks

By Ella Grzelak In late winter, many students will find themselves scrambling to build their next school year’s schedule. Students will question what level of classes would best suit them. CP (college prep.), Honors, and AP (advanced placement), (listed in sequential order of least to most difficult) are the course levels offered at Burlington High School (BHS).

AP courses are taught at the collegiate level. BHS Freshmen are given the opportunity of choosing one AP class to take their Sophomore year. Sophomores can take AP Music Theory, Biology, US History, or Computer Science Principles. However, a teacher recommendation and or approval of chair head of the department is required to be able to take one of these classes.

“I look for students that have a great sense of responsibility, are mature enough to have adult conversations, and love to

read and are curious about the topic” said Mr. Parkin, BHS AP US History teacher (Disclosure: Mr. Parkin is the writer’s current History teacher).

AP course standards are set higher than any other class level at BHS. AP classes are meant to challenge students.

“Although there are success stories, I generally think it is best for most sophomores to wait until Junior/Senior year [to take an AP],” said Mr. Leonard, AP and Honors Biology teacher. “This is mainly to allow students to take their prerequisite courses in a timely manner while they mature academically and are more ready for the rigorous nature of a college course.”

Of all the AP classes offered to Sophomores Freshman, Ava Restivo, does not want to take any. Though she is currently taking all the highest level classes she could take this school year, Restivo will “most

likely not” be taking any AP classes next year.

“I’m afraid that an AP class might change my mindset on the court or on the field and I don’t think I could do that to my teammates,” Restivo said.

“During the sport seasons all of my energy is put into that because when I commit [to] something I always give it my all, and if I commit to an AP class I will have to give it my all in that too. So taking an AP class with sports [would] be a hard adjustment that I am not exactly ready for.”

For students, there are several benefits to taking an AP class such as exposure at a young age as to what a college class is like.

A student can also begin to earn college credits from scoring a three, four, or five out of five on the required AP test at that AP class’s conclusion. Although, not every college will accept credit from a score of three and not every college will accept these credits to be-

gin with.

On the flip side, AP teachers seem to have positive experiences teaching at the college level.

“I love teaching the AP class. These are the kids that stimulate you with great conversations. They motivate you to become a better teacher, because they themselves are motivated and curious about the world...” Mr. Parkin said.

Mr. Leonard is very “passionate” about biology.

He enjoys teaching at the AP level.

“I… think there is something for everyone offered in this field… From concerns that span to the spread of the coronavirus or… the impacts of climate change… we are all going to need to face these realities…” Mr. Leonard ex-

Photo by Green Chameleon on Unsplash plained. “...without basic scientific literacy making good informed decisions becomes impossible. This is my biggest motivating factor and why I enjoy teaching at the highest level BHS has to offer.”

As a student who is not quite as passionate about the offered Sophomore AP subjects, Restivo has her own morals when it comes to deciding whether or not to take an AP. “I would most likely not take those AP classes

for my Sophomore year because I am going to major in art…. I think it’s a good idea to take an AP class if you are going to major in [the] subject or go further with it like in college… I would rather take classes that I like rather than taking classes colleges would want to see!” Restivo said.

Students and teachers appear to agree AP classes are not to be taken lightly.

As a high school student, would you take an AP class your Sophomore year?

Latest Netflix offerings: are they worth the time?

By Ella Tedesco Everytime I go onto Netflix and want to pick something new to watch I become overwhelmed with the large section of new releases and find it difficult to choose a show to put my time into. I always want to know what this show is about or is that show actually worth the hours I have to dedicate to it? Well, now you can know what trending shows are worth your time and fit what you are looking for.

The first show I want to talk about is Outer Banks which you have probably heard of due to its popularity gained over the past few months because of its beautiful setting, relatable characters and cliffhangers at the end of every episode. Outer Banks is about a group of teens from the working class part of town who are on a treasure hunt because of the disappearance of the main character’s father. It came out in April of 2020 and has one season with 10 episodes each about 45 minutes to an hour long.

Overall I think this show was worth my time spent watching it and at the end of every episode I wanted more. I loved the visuals of the show and it made me want to go on a vacation in the Outer Banks. The characters were all well-developed and I either felt for them

or despised them. My only critique is that I felt there were a lot of unnecessary fighting scenes between the boys in the show and I would find myself rolling my eyes at that. I would rate Outer Banks a 9 out of 10 and would recommend it to a teenage audience looking for a mystery with some romance between the characters.

The next show I watched recently is Never Have I Ever which I was happily surprised by. The show is a comedy based around Devi who is a first-generation Indian American teen who struggles with the loss of her father and fitting into high school. The show was released at the end of April in 2020 and has 10 episodes that run for about half an hour each (so you know I finished that quickly).

I did not expect to love the show as much as I did.

I think this show is relatable for teenagers and even adults who experienced high school because they can feel for Devi and her awkward encounters and difficult decisions she has to make. I will admit there were a couple of episodes in the mix that I did not enjoy as much as the others and were not needed for the overall story. Overall I think this is a great show that all ages should give a chance and would give it the rating of 8.5 out of 10.

Photos courtesy of Netflix. Collage created by Ella Tedesco Season two of Dead to Me was just released at the beginning of May and that intrigued me to give it a try. The show is about the main character Jen who lost her husband a couple of months ago. She meets Judy at a grief group who has also had a loss of her own. The two quickly become close but we come to find everything is not how it seems. The show has two seasons on Netflix with 20 episodes in total and each is 30 minutes long.

As I learned more about each character I was shocked almost every episode and could not stop

watching. I think the show has a very well thought out storyline and Jen and Judy are so different that it makes them fun to watch together. I think this show was amazing but certain instances of ironic events were a little extreme and unrealistic. Overall, this was my favorite show I watched recently on Netflix and I think it is great for the audience of teens to all adults. I would rate it a 9.5 out of 10.

If you are not into the drama-comedy or action genre of shows and want a reality tv show, Love is Blind is a newer addition

to Netflix. Men and women are put into pods where they cannot see the person they are talking to in hopes of finding a soulmate based on chemistry and not appearance. The show has 10 episodes each about an hour and also a reunion episode.

Overall, I thought for reality tv it was good but I felt too much time talking in the pods was shown and some could have been cut down. When the couples meet in real life I find certain people irritating but this is made up for with the cute couples who end up getting married and live a

happy life together. I would recommend this show to reality tv lovers but I do not think it is for everyone. I would rate it a 7 out of 10.

The last show I want to talk about is Sweet Magnolias which I cannot give a final verdict of because I only wanted an episode.

The show just came out near the end of May and is based on the book series. It is about friends who have been friends together and live in a small Southern town. There are 10 episodes each about an hour long.

I actually did not enjoy the first episode. I think that if you are someone who is easily bored with tv shows and needs high drama and cliffhangers (like me) this show is not for you. Another issue I found with this show is the Southern accents. They were very intense and unrealistic and certain characters lost their accents sometimes.

I think if you love cute happy shows to watch in the background while you are doing other things and do not need to focus, this show is for you. With what I have seen from this show I would rate it a 5 out of 10.

Now that you have some insight to the new additions to Netflix go pick the one that sounds the best to you that I talked about and get binging!