The new student center debut confuses Blues

By DAVID SLAVTCHEFF ’24 STAFF WRITER

The dumbfounded faces of students multiplied as the news spread like wildfire by word of mouth and Snapchat stories alike. The beating heart of campus was suddenly devoid of all furniture. There was hardly a stool to eat a BEC on, and we mourned the loss of our safe haven. Even faculty members were surprised by the complete makeover of the antique tables placed in the adjoining map room. What cruel fate had befallen our beloved student center and map room? The answer wasn’t clear until a few days later: renovations.

Many still mourn the revamping of the Athey Academic Center featuring new flooring, decorations, and other classroom implements, which took place over the summer of 2022. This time, the campus operation team brought new couches, chairs, tables, and vibes to the ground level of the Athey Academic Center. This unnecessary and brutal change shocked many, but many more were simply confused as to what had happened. Never fear Hill School, the answers are here. Senior Director of Campus Operations, Collin Wood, said, “The renovations are part of a multi-year commitment by the school to update classrooms and common spaces in the Academic Center.”

In true Hill fashion, however, it was a donation by a Hill family that made these renovations possible.

Many students were initially confused as they struggled to understand the changes. After all, why fix something that isn’t broken? Student Life Services, the mastermind behind these updates, says the goal was to provide an enhanced experience to students spending time there, in addition to matching the all-campus renovation program. It’s important to know too that the old furniture has been moved to the new downtown zero-waste book café, which was an initiative started by the Hill Entrepreneurship class.

Naturally, people had some opinions about this. Some felt that the change was refreshing and appreciated the update. A major- ity of the Hill populace, it seems, feels the other way. Several expressed their potent dislike of the new furniture saying it was “uncomfortable” or “impractical.” Many missed the familiar couches and chairs surrounding the TV. For such a critical space in student life, the general consensus is that students wish their input had been considered for the changes. of the fish that we see, eat, or even learn about, all have an involvement with coral reefs. In fact, over one billion humans depend on coral reefs for food and tourism. explaining how the increase in temperatures stresses the coral polyps and causes them to lose their algae. The reason that these corals are so important for the fight against climate change is because, coral reefs, along with other marine organisms, play an important role in capturing and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. When corals grow, they incorporate carbon dioxide into their skeletal structure and effectively slow down the rate of climate change.

In addition, the new furniture greatly limited the capacity of the student center, especially in the grille area -- which will also undergo an upcoming facelift in the near future as well.

Manager of Student Life Services, Amy Winter, commented that while it may be shocking right now, students will hopefully come around to it.

Is the renovation of the “stu” another case of unnecessary modernization?

Or is it a refreshing change to a key part of campus life? Only time will tell. For now, we can rest assured that the comfortable chairs couches we gathered around during free period and superbowl alike are gone, victims to the never ending rebrand of The Hill.

The reefs provide habitat for the different species of fish helping support long term food security in coastal areas. They are an important source for bioprospecting, which is the process of looking for potential new medicines. It has been reported that corals are used in medical research to treat and prevent cancer and chronic health problems. They are the foundation for growing new bone in reconstructive surgery.

Professor Webster explains that while corals may look like rock structures, they are in fact living creatures. Corals are vital to a healthy planet because although they occupy less than 1% of the of the Earth’s surface, they are home to a quarter of all marine species. That means that most

Professor Webster described how “Coral reefs help with the shoreline protection as they keep growing and build the structure of the reefs.” These ‘rainforests of the sea’ provide protection from storms and coastal erosion by acting as natural barriers that lessen the impact of large waves, thereby reducing the chances of tsunamis and floods.

“Corals are getting pushed to the extremes outside their bounds more and more often when it comes to high temperatures,” Professor Webster stated. He continued,

As a community, there are many ways we can do our own part to help save coral reefs too. The first would be by learning about them and their importance. We can raise awareness by sharing information and advocating for coral conservation. Limiting consumption of single use plastics and reducing energy use are actions we can take.

If we are to protect these vital habitats for future generations, it is essential that we take the steps necessary to reduce the stressors that are threatening their survival. By working to protect corals, we can ensure that these magnificent ecosystems and the benefits they provide are preserved for generations to come.

What’s so funny about Black History Month?

By TOFE AKINYANMI ’23

MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

Black History Month, like so many other things, has become a joke. Of course, black people commonly joke about it, but when the joke spreads, so does the irreverence fueling it. So what does the month mean to us? Are my rights, as a black person, now relevant? It’s not that black students at Hill face no adversity-- a certain Instagram account, which I’m sure many of you are aware of, can attest to that. But somehow, we’ve managed to make this month a joke.

“He’s on the half-and-half plan this month, bro loses privileges after 8pm,” she said. As a friend and I walked away, I overheard the girl’s ending sentence—her final comeback to their joking roasts. This raised two concerns.

Firstly, she wasn’t black. It was in no way her right to judge his blackness, either way, but another layer was added to it by the fact that she had none.

Second, was that as far as it went? Was the extent of the month only for black students at Hill like myself to receive a slightly lower amount of jabs and roasts?

On social media, it’s much the same. Frederick Douglass is the reason February is this month in the first place, yet the majority of airtime is given to videos jokingly having white students lay down to be walked on by their black friends.

Black culture often influences pop culture. The joke coined around 2019 of using Black History Month as a defense in arguments or stories quickly translated to “not during pride month” in June, and “not during women’s history month” in March. But when it comes to women’s history month and pride month, these jokes don’t undercut the importance of history, and the importance of awareness. At least not so much as Black History Month. I simply ask you to consider where the jokes end and the racial awareness begins.

Walking around campus, I often see raised fists and bended knee, or people reciting the lyrics “No freedom till we’re equal” ironically. Let’s put things in perspective. The most recent known human zoo was an exhibit of African people in France in 1994, after the invention of the cell phone. Do you think that since then, we’ve become ‘equal’?

So I ask you, non-black students of the Hill, to enlighten me. What in the world is so funny about black history month? Is it the fact that your black peers fear calling you out because they know you’ll overlook them? Is it the fact that some students at Hill can’t even report others saying slurs because they know they’ll be socially punished for standing up for their race? Is it the microaggressions we face every day? Or perhaps the awkward situations black students find themselves in watching their counterparts pull out a blaccent for a random sentence. Please, what’s the joke? Because I personally don’t understand it.