THN Issue 1 2022-23

The Hill School handbook is edited…again: a detailed look into its annual revision

By ANNA CARROLL ’23 & JASON ZHOU ’23

At the center of everyday Hill student life lies the handbook. From general codes of conduct to dormito ry packing checklists and dress code guidelines, these one hundred pages detail daily Hill operations, clearly out lining expectations and regulations for both students and faculty.

While all are aware of the hand book’s indisputable role in student life, many are unaware of the annual revision it undergoes. In hopes of cre ating a better school environment for community members, the handbook is adjusted by multiple departments and personnel at the Hill school every year.

Assistant Head of School for Com munity Life and Dean of Students Ari Baum oversees this annual revision.

For the 2022-2023 handbook, pri ority was placed on the inclusivity of appearance guidelines for students. Ac knowledging that student appearances at Hill take up an enormous aspect of students’ lives, the deans hope to cre ate a dress code that both allows each student to positively identify with the regulations and one that stays true to Hill’s core values.

In order to incorporate student in put and faculty advice, the discussion of the handbook revision starts as early as the spring term in the previous year.

In March of the academic year, Deans’ Office Manager Darlene Bain bridge contacts department leaders to share previous regulations pertaining to respective departments. Each de partment will then revise the section, as they see fit. These changes can be mere cosmetic edits or the addition of a new policy. Students are also able to address areas of the handbook they would like to see altered or to suggest possible additions by contacting the Deans’ Office or to the SGA. This part of the process usually ends around May when all edits have been submitted to the Deans’ Office. Baum then reviews these revisions, while also overseeing all edits of sections that fall under the Deans’ Office authority, like rules and expectations, appearance guidelines, and demerits.

Baum and Assistant Dean of Stu dents Heidi Eccleston would also meet with various student groups and facul ty leaders to discuss specific concerns and ideas for the upcoming handbook. For example, Hill’s Advocates for Sexu al Orientation and Gender Identity fac ulty advisers, Head Librarian and The Hill News Adviser Nancy Body and Athey Family Master Teacher of En glish Amy Agnew, met with Baum and Eccleston to address concerns relating to the student dress code.

“At least the last three or four years, sometimes faculty or student leaders of HASOGI meet with Mrs. Eccleston and me. We will discuss either chang ing the substance of the dress code or

how it is written to make it more inclu sive so that it reads in a more inclusive

tronic layout of the handbook.

Finally, the deans receive and ap prove this final draft, and the OSM publishes the student handbook for the new school year towards the beginning of August.

The 2022-2023 student handbook marked new changes in several areas, representing the collective effort of the deans and community members.

“We decided prior to the sum mer to move Appearance Guidelines outside of Rules and Expectations to its own section just so that it is more accessible and easier to read. Another section that is new, but the content is not necessarily new, is Sexual Miscon duct policies,” explained Baum.

way to all students or as many students as possible. That is definitely a critical part of that process for appearance guidelines,” explained Baum.

“We have talked a lot with HA SOGI leaders and members over the past year and they gave us a lot of feed back about dress code issues that are very challenging,” explained Agnew.

“What we were really concerned about was we wanted to see if there was a way that the dress code could be as gender neutral as possible given the traditions of the school. The students we spoke with really felt strongly that it could be just neutral,” said Body.

Both Body and Agnew spoke of hopes to streamline the dress code and to make the guidelines more inclu sive and simple for all students. They expressed the concerns of current students, as well as alumni, who had shared personal problems with the dress code.

“[The deans] were very open to everything we presented, and I am su per pleased with how the dress code looks after our discussion. We did not get quite everything we suggested or asked for, but we really did get a lot,” explained Agnew.

By mid-June, the draft of the re vised handbook is then shared with Head of School Zack Lehman, Assis tant Head of School Dr. Sylvia Rodri guez Vargaz, and The Hill’s attorney Tom Reese, all of whom then send questions and revisions back.

Then, in late June, after the writing of the handbook is finalized, the draft is sent to the Office of Strategy Manage ment, making visual changes like ad ditions of graphics and page numbers.

“Our role is to design the publica tion and give it a final proofing to check for typos and format errors before the final version is made live in late July,” said Denise Spatarella, director of con tent strategy and communications at OSM. Additionally, graphic designers in the office design the format and elec

The major change in the 20222023 student handbook is the removal of gendered pronouns in the student appearance guideline section. For ex ample, guidelines to pants and skirts are both under one category now. There are also minor changes in the handbook, like students are no longer required to wear socks in the academic dress code.

On July 16, the student appearance guidance page on The Hill School web site was inadvertently updated with a proposed change that was never ap proved. The link to this page was then sent to Hill families and students in the second “HillInfo” email of the summer.

Teachers and administration, however, do not receive these emails and thus, did not see this new change, leading to confusion amongst the Hill communi ty.

The unapproved proposition stated that “Hair longer than collar length (for any gender identity) should be neatly organized and pulled back during the Academic Day in a ponytail, bun, chignon, or similar so that it does not block the student’s face and does not extend below the collar.”

Students were quick to react to this, raising concerns for different racial and ethnic groups within the student body. “Black hair requires a significant amount of maintenance, so maneuver ing it every day would be incredibly difficult. Most of us black girls on cam pus use protective styles, such as braids, which are usually long and quite heavy, and they aren’t the most comfortable to be swept up in a ponytail or bun every day,” Jheanelle Robinson ’23 stated in a text.

OSM corrected the website as soon as the error was brought to their atten tion, and the proposal was taken down on July 18. “It was an honest mistake but a mistake all the same, and to the extent that this mistake upset or hurt anyone at the time, the school is abso lutely sorry. But to reiterate, there was never any decision made to change the dress code in the way that was on the website for that short period of time,” Baum stated.

It is important to note, howev er, that this suggestion was made in hopes of more inclusive and gen

der-neutral appearance guidelines. Baum explained that in the attempts to de-gendering the dress code, some suggested proposals were more re strictive for male students and less for female, while others were less restric tive for male and more for female. “We are trying to get to a place where many aspects of the dress code are universal and not gender specific, but there are some areas (Including hair length for male-identifying students) where there is gender directive,” Baum stated in an email.

Despite this minor setback, many involved in the revising of the hand book believe that new guidelines are reaching complete inclusivity through step by step.

“We are definitely moving in the right direction. It seems we are getting more and more inclusive each year. There is still more to be done. We say, ‘The Hill School is your home’ so it is very important to make sure that this is home for everybody– not just one type of student, or one type of faculty, or one type of staff member,” explained Agnew.

“Achieving inclusion is not the only

priority in determining the dress code. It can be challenging to satisfy the vari ous priorities of the dress code, though it is a higher priority than ever to be as inclusive as possible,” Baum concluded.

From the editing of page numbers and graphics to discussions of possi ble revisions and changes, much time and effort goes into revising the hand book each year. This year, students see a handbook revised to create a more inclusive and welcoming environment for students, seen in edits like the gen der-neutral appearance guidelines and the heightened significance placed on sexual misconduct.

The Hill School handbook will continue to outline student life and expectations here at this school, hold ing community members accountable, while also providing opportunities for success. Though its content varies slightly from year to year, one thing remains unchanged: the handbook’s regulation of students’ daily lives.

“Achieving inclusion is not the only priority in de termining the dress code. It can be challenging to satisfy the various priorities of the dress code, though it is a higher priority than ever to be as inclusive as possible”

—Ari Baum Assistant Head of School for Commu nity Life and Dean of Students

Head Zack Lehman

MoniYah

Fall into the new school year with these must-see Hill events

By FRANKIE HALVEY STAFF WRITER

With the 2022-2023 school year beginning to get back into full swing, there are many must-see campus events taking place this fall. The school year starts for many in late August when preseason athletes prepare for their respective seasons. After around two weeks of intensive workouts and train ing, Hill’s football team readies themselves for their first game, hosted by Pottstown High on Septem ber 23 at 7 p.m.

The second group of students to arrive on campus are the theater students on September 1. Occurring before the beginning of the school year is the Ellis Theatre Guild’s third bootcamp perfor mance on September 3 at 8 p.m. Each year’s perfor mance has a completely different theme, revealed to the cast on the first day of the three daylong events. “Theater bootcamp is almost like an initia tion: you come in wildly unprepared and confused, but excited for what’s ahead. People of all ranges of talent come join in and have fun creating a caba ret-style performance,” Meena Ali ‘23, a four-year theater student, said.

Another one of the many fall traditions at Hill is Parents’ Weekend, taking place October 7 and 8, where students showcase what they have been working on academically, artistically, or athletical ly. During this time, parents have the ability to at tend their child’s classes, games, and performances, giving a unique experience for many families who have not had the chance to visit campus them selves.

One of the largest events of the fall term, and

possibly the whole year, is Lawrenceville Week end. Through nineteen total contests, from field hockey to tennis to football, Hill competes against Lawrenceville School teams for the Meigs Green Cup. If Hill wins the majority of the competitions, they take home the cup, celebrating with a Head of School Holiday, a day off of school, the following day.

When asked about Hill vs Lawrenceville foot ball, Kayden White ’23 said, “We match up perfect ly with them and that’s why it’s always a good game. It comes down to who wants in more and who put in the work when people weren’t watching.” This year, Lawrenceville hosts the competitions, so fan buses will be provided to go support the teams.

The school encourages all members of the community to see any weekend or weekday sports games to support your peers and cheer on Hill. The full list of dates for these fall events and more are available on the school’s website.

By RYANN HOLLADAY CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR

Hill continues to grow its presence in STEM through new summer camp

Though the 2021-22 school year ended in ear ly June, Hill continued to teach young minds well into the summer. For many years, the school hosted Adventure on the Hill, a series of high-energy sum mer camps for children from ages 7 to 17. The Hill School held in the past multiple sports camps, rang ing from indoor sports such as basketball, as well as outdoor sports like field hockey and baseball. In addition to these summer programs, however, the school developed a STEM camp for students enter ing sixth through eighth grade.

Robert Steinman, Athey family master of sci ence, describes this science, technology, engineer ing, and math experience as “summer enrichment for students who have a natural proclivity for STEM.” From July 11 to July 22, a number of middle school students jumped into the course instructed by three current Hill employees: Hoda Ehsan, chair of the engineering department and associate direc tor of engineering, Sam Rhinehart, engineering in tern, and Steinman. Beginning with a math course in the morning, this group of students was chal lenged and taught information using laptops, proj ects, 3D printers, and so much more. The different assets in the Quadrivium made for great interactive experiences for these students that Hill previously has not had access to.

David Page, the director of summer program

ming, stated in an email that the new STEM camp is “a great resource for local families with children interested in a life in the STEM world.” Offering these camps and courses through the summer gives young adolescents a glimpse into what their cours es may look like later on in middle school or high school.

Though this is Hill’s first STEM camp, this is not the first time Hill has hosted a summer science course. For many years, the Hill campus’ facilities have been rented out for numerous programs. Rob ert Steinman explained the shift that occurred at Hill as the result of COVID-19 regarding the ability to host future programs, taking into account these new Quadrivium facilities. “I think we were used to renting out our facilities to other programs and I think we are starting to build up new programs that came as a result of Covid, shutting things down for the summer,” Steinman said. Hill now has access to these amazing resources, so why not use them to serve students outside of the school year?

Creating an entirely new camp is not an easy feat by any means. Throughout this summer, many people worked hard to make this an opportunity that kids would not forget and hopefully want to come back to experience all over again.

Head of School Zack Lehman departs Hill after 11 years

By JASON ZHOU ’23 CO-EDITOR IN CHIEF

Head of School Zack Lehman has decided to leave the Hill School at the end of the 2022-2023 school year to take on a new challenge as the new head of school at The Loomis Chaffee School.

After serving the Hill School for 11 years, Leh man, his wife, and family dog Reuben are relocating back to New England to stay closer to family and life long friends. “I felt it was a good time to seek a new challenge that was closer to our family and ‘home base’ in New England,” Lehman stated in an email.

Four-year student Rocco Bressi ’23 was shocked when he heard about Lehman’s decision, “I was a lit tle confused because the news came out without any warning.” However, Bressi understands Lehman’s de cision to get closer to his family. “I wish him the best of luck and I appreciate everything he’s done for the school,” Bressi said.

Since the start of his run at Hill, Lehman prom ised the Board of Trustees a minimum of 10-year min istrations to have enough time to “make substantial progress toward the school’s ambitious goals.” After a decade, Lehman believed that he has fulfilled his role. “Hill is once again considered one of the premier boarding schools in the world … because of the prog ress we have made at Hill, the school is in a terrific po sition for a leadership transition,” Lehman said.

As such, Lehman felt his leaving as a “win-win” situation for both his family and the school’s future development.

Lehman decided to pursue his future career at

The Loomis Chaffee School, where he has some per sonal connections. “I have known Loomis Chaffee ever since I was in boarding school myself, the retiring head of school was my dorm parent at Exeter, and her husband was my adviser at Dartmouth,” Lehman said.

Having a level of comfort with the school to be gin with, Lehman was attracted by the “increased complexity and challenge of leading a larger boarding school” at Loomis Chaffee.

“Like Hill, Loomis Chaffee has fantastic academ ics, athletics, and arts but has struggled a bit with build ing a strong community feeling as their enrollment has outgrown some of their community traditions and the capacity of their meeting facilities,” Lehman said. As an active community-builder at Hill, Lehman looks for ward to using his experience and enthusiasm in that area to help Loomis Chaffee regain that very strong sense of community.

Lehman recently signed a contract extension with The Hill School; however, The Hill board of trustees is very supportive of Lehman’s decision to depart ahead of schedule and transition to Loomis Chaffee.

5th former Yuvi Singh ’24 came to The Hill School from India this fall. As a new boarding student, Singh said that it would definitely feel different without Leh man’s presence next year. “The other day I just saw him walking Reuben. It’s weird to think that I’m just getting to know him, but he is leaving next year,” Singh said.

Stella Mueller ’26 remembered when she came to revisit day, Lehman named out each of the new pros pect students and what activities they are good at. “I felt supported when he called my name during my revisit day, no one ever did that,” Mueller said.

3rd former Robyn Eliason ’26 thought that it’s good that Lehman felt comfortable with the environ ment he had created at Hill that he knows he can leave, and the school will be as good as it is with the help of other faculties.

As for the next Head of School, the Board of Trust ees hired professional executive search firm RG175, which specializes in head of school searches. At the same time, Hill has composed a search committee consisting of trustees and faculty members. Together, the search firm and the search committee will develop a position description, often known as an opportunity statement, an appli cation process, and a candidate interview and visit schedule. Lehman wrote in an email that the board of trustees hopes to name the next head of school sometime in January or Febru ary 2023, complete a transition process through the spring, and have the next Head of School as sume leadership on July 1, 2023. More information about the head of school search can be found on The Hill School

website.

Lehman said that he wishes to have the best time ever with the Hill community in his last year. He is extremely grateful to the Hill community for all of their kind words and congratulations over the last few weeks since he shared my plans. “Mrs. Lehman and I have loved our experience at Hill and remain very proud of the school in every way possible. We are looking forward to a fantastic year ahead and to creat ing lasting memories with our collogues and students,” Lehman concluded.

Hill plots a blueprint for new campus construction

From cheering for others on the Beech Street tennis courts to cooper ating and doing group projects with classmates in the Athey Academic Center’s classic classrooms, the cam pus has played host to some of the fondest memories that students have during their time here. This summer, several construction projects funded by generous donors will be completed in order to improve the environment for faculties and students.

The first change occurring were for the classrooms inside the Athey Academic Center.

“We are renovating the class rooms inside the academic building because of a gift we received that allow us to upgrade the technology in classrooms. Receiving that gift, we believed it just make more sense for us to try and partner that with other things that needed to be done in the classroom anyhow, so we are placing mechanical units in the classroom, improving the air quality. Again, if we are pulling down the ceil ing to put new technology in, it just makes sense for us to put energy-efficient lights and more sound-proofing ceiling tiles in.” Richard Bouher, the capital construction project manager, said in a Zoom interview.

Additionally, with the upgraded technologies in classrooms, teachers can incorporate technolo

gy into their curriculum, Hill seeks to make their classes more interactive and efficient. In addition, with the replacement of more energy-efficient lights, less electricity will be used, which is much more environmentally friendly.

“We are always trying to design and build things with socially and environmentally conscious materials.” Bouher stated, explaining the reasons behind replacing the lights.

Shunji Lewandowski ’24 supports the school’s plan of adding in more sound-proofing tiles as he claims that “I would hear other classes watching movies or playing games many times when I was in Chinese or English class, and this was really dis tracting. I think the implement of these tiles will

benefit many of the students who have the same concern as me.”

The Davy Hall dormitory, formerly known as the Dellside, as well as the terrace in front of the academic center both underwent reno vations by the school. As two of the class gifts from the Class of 2022, the construction plans were created in mid-January. Davy Hall re ceived new roofing and new bricks, and the patio had new pavers laid.

“I have heard a lot of rumors between stu dents about the renovation of Dellside dorm, but I am still pretty surprised and happy hear ing about the news. There were some problems with the old Dellside dorm building, and I am really excited to see the chang es this September.” said Sissi Zhen ’24. In addition to these projects, Hill is also cur rently finishing a construction and refurbishment project on Swee ney Gymnasium, which includes the installation of new windows, a new roof, and

By HELEN LING ’23 STAFF WRITER

outdoor steps. The school also plans to raise money for remodeling the tennis pavilion, adding a new swimming and diving pool, and upgrading the Meigs Admission Office and business office.

As a swimmer and water polo player, Shunji Lewandowski ’24 is excited to see the implementa tion of a new pool. “It has been a bit frustrating over the past couple of years since there has not been much changes to the pool which is built in 1949. I believe all my amazing teammates and coaches would be happy to swim in a nicer facility,” he stat ed through email.

These on-going construction plans will wel come students’ return to campus this fall. Ready for the fresh start of the school year?

Construction of Davy Hall nears completion as the school year begins.

Davy Hall

Head of School Zachary Lehman will begin his next chapter at The Loomis Chaffee School.

PHOTO CARRIE

PHOTO BY LUKE GERDEMAN

PHOTO COURTESY OF SARAH BENDER

PHOTO COURTESY OF SARAH BENDER

Hill students sing

By SELA MUTO

When The Hill News last caught up with Moniyah Per son-Henderson ’23, she was a 5th former preparing to embark on a journey to Fairfax, Virginia, where she would be attending the Washington Journalism and Media Conference at George Mason University. Despite her minimal exposure to journalism itself, Person-Henderson developed a keen interest in its art, expressing her belief that “writing is the bare minimum people need to know.” Although jour nalism had never been at the forefront of her career aspirations, Person-Henderson the conference fu eled her love of writing, allowing her to discover her hidden passion for journalism.

While she had high expectations going into July 10-15, no amount of anticipation could have prepared Person-Henderson for the experience that she would go on to describe as “one of the best decisions” that she’s ever made. “WJMC taught me communication, how to network, how to pitch ideas,” she explained, “and as someone who wants to go into business and computer science in the fu ture, I found it very enlightening that I learned how to pitch to individuals in a business setting.”

While Person-Henderson found herself proud of the work she was completing, some of her great est inspiration was drawn from professionals she had the opportunity to speak to throughout WJMC. “I met incredible people. I met Brian Lamb, who is the CEO of C-Span. He created a news casting company that delivered news that was completely

unbiased– all he did was deliver the news. He was an incredible speaker, he interviewed a lot of us stu dents, he asked us questions politically, it was a very interesting, mature conversation,” Person-Hender son explained.

With each day, Person-Henderson became more fascinated by field work. Each day she would wake up at 7 a.m. and have breakfast as a group around 7:45. Students were led in small groups by faculty advisers and George Mason’s own commu nication professors. Prominent journalists, CEOs of major media, and even recent college graduates also head the program, leading students in discussions. Furthermore, Person-Henderson had the oppor tunity to tour the U.S. Capitol and visit museums, like Planet Word in D.C. She conducted interviews, listened to speakers, and talked with knowledgeable and successful journalists, asking questions and learning about their own experiences. Her workday usually ended around 10 p.m.

“I’m grateful to Hill because Hill has taught me how to have a set schedule and complete tasks with in that schedule and that’s exactly what we did at WJMC. So, although it was very tedious, it was nice having that schedule and set order that I was already used to because of Hill having a similar set order of when we do certain activities,” Person-Henderson explained.

With 300 total students attending the confer ence, Person-Henderson was also able to meet peers who shared her passion for journalism. “I created incredible friendships, I met so many amazing peo ple– people I still talk to this day,” she shared. “It was

really incredible to share my experiences with oth ers,” she said.

After her time at the Washington Journalism and Media Conference, Person-Henderson ex pressed her encouragement towards students con sidering this experience for themselves.

“If anyone has the opportunity next year, I com pletely recommend going, even if you’re not into

journalism, you learn so much, you meet so many amazing people, and it’s just such great memories that you make with people that you’ve met in such a short amount of time. It even made me more con fident to go and attend college because then I knew that I would meet people that had similar values and likings just as me, so I was so incredibly grateful for this experience.”

By

Each year, a Hill faculty member receives The Brody Family Fellowship—a grant established and funded by Hill alum Daniel M. Brody ’69 and his wife Nancy, parents of Douglas R. Brody ’02. The teacher chosen for this fellowship receives the grant money to fund a trip, which they have the flexibility of choos ing, that will help enrich them in the subjects that they teach.

In 2019, Matthew Gettings, senior master of mathematics, was awarded the Brody Family Fellow ship, but complications due to COVID-19 prevented him from traveling during the summer of 2020. This summer, as some COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, he finally experienced his trip.

Gettings traveled to Greece for a total of twoand-a-half weeks, where he visited Athens and Crete, seeing different museums and architecture. In order to get the most out of his trip, he focused on “the big three E’s Educational, Enriching, and Enjoyable.” This way, it felt to him not only an educational trip, but also an enriching and enjoyable vacation. Gettings said that the most impressive part about his trip “was hiking the entire Samaria Gorge, the largest gorge in Europe, because the views were so special.”

“What I takes away from my trip to Greece is that I’ll be able to put some of the mathematics I teach in context and history,” Gettings states. He continued with how this trip sparked his curiosity, compelling him to want to learn more about the ancestors of ac ademia, and described his trip as an “extremely hum bling and such an amazing experience.”

In the Spring of 2021, Christopher DeLucia, de partment chair for world languages, was awarded the same prestigious award. His original grant trip for the fellowship was “Sacred Mountains of Asia,” but since that area was not open for the summer of 2022, he

changed it to Europe.

“I felt I needed to learn more about languages I don’t teach, and having visited France in the past, I decided to spend two weeks each in Spain and Mo rocco,” DeLucia stated in an email. For him to get the most out of his trip, he wanted to focus on the main areas of what he teaches, as well as his personal inter ests: language, culture, religion, and history mixed with physical challenge.

DeLucia’s first stop was Morocco. Before he ar rived, he learned that Yassine Benzinane, former instructor of world languages, was traveling there as well. Benzinane invited DeLucia to join him on his trip. While in Morroco, DeLucia learned a bit of Arabic, was able to do things tourists normally do not do such as staying in the Riads, which is a tra ditional home with a courtyard, and got caught in a sandstorm. “By traveling with Mr. Benzinane, who was extremely knowledgeable and energetic, we did a tremendous amount in a short time, which gave me time to visit Greece as well,” DeLucia explained in an email.

After Morocco, DeLucia flew to Spain. He knew he could not see all of Spain, so he chose Southern Spain and the Andalucia region. “As I focused on Spain, there was a tremendous amount of Moorish culture and architecture, so I continued to learn much about the Islamic history as well,” DeLucia explained. Additionally, DeLucia picked up some Spanish phrases, which has helped him to now have more of an understanding and appreciation of the language.

Like Gettings, DeLucia traveled to Greece. Af ter climbing Mt. Olympus, the mythological home of Zeus and the gods, he visited Athens and Delphi. “Greece was about history. I love that area and hope to go back,” DeLucia stated in an email.

Gettings and DeLucia both shared that they each gained immense knowledge about the diverse cultures, religions, and histories of the countries they visited. DeLucia stated that this newfound knowledge and perspective is something “our students need to learn about.”

By ELLA GRINDLE

Slow, steady breaths harmonize with a racing heart and mind. He pauses and re calls the hours he spent tirelessly perfect ing his steps, his form, his notes. As the lights dim and the curtain rises, a spotlight emerges-- Timothy Woodward ’24 takes the stage.

It is no secret that The Ellis Theatre Guild member has a command of the set; previous Hill productions such as Into the Woods and Love, Dot have established Woodward as a leader and a star, whose per formances are highly anticipated. During the summer months, Woodward sought to take full advantage of his time off from aca demics by participating in two prestigious, performance-intensive programs.

The first program, Summer Perform ing Arts with Julliard, was a two-week “education-based” program, consisting of a six-period schedule, faculty lectures, and a rehearsal to end each day. The par ticipants were split into groups and tasked with a performance on the last day of the program.

Classes were specific to each group in the Julliard program. It consists of classes like vocal health, specific theater technique like alexander technique and dance class es. “We had a seminar each day where the faculty would present a career in the per forming arts, how to maintain a positive

attitude, and they also talked about college auditions,” Woodward said.

Woodward also took part in another theater program at Stagedoor Manor Per forming Arts Training Center from July 25 to August 14. This program heavily base on stage practices. “Juilliard was a lot more ed ucation and technique based, that’s where I took plenty of notes. I have notebooks and notebooks of all of the things that I learned. Stagedoor was where I put them into ac tion,” Woodward said.

Participating in three shows at once with significant roles, Woodword thought it certainly helped him with time manage ment, and maintaining his vocal health which has been challenging. During his performances at Stagedoor, Woodward captured the roles of Seymour (Little Shop of Horrors), Ensemble (Cabaret), and Mark (I Told You, Man). Woodward received a six-thousand-dollar scholarship to attend the program, covering his full tuition.

Going into his junior year, Woodward anticipates performing in all three produc tions, and is excited to move forward with his newfound experience. “All of the new things I’ve learned, I feel like I really cata pulted into another level of performing that is new to me, and I hope to reflect that in Hill Theatre,” Woodward said.

PHOTO

MoniYah

Timmy

Christopher

Hill welcomes new faculty

By MONIYAH PERSON-HENDERSON

ANNA RIBEIRO

Anna Ribeiro joins Hill as the new donor rela tions officer where she will be spending most of her time in the Alumni Office. Ribeiro is originally from Queens, New York but attended Middlesex Boarding School in Concord, Mas sachussetts. “I actually toured Hill when I was 14 and had friends who attended here, so it was an easy decision to work here.” As a donor rela tions officer, she is thrilled to connect students and alumni. When she is not in the Alumni Office, she will be residing on US 4 East. “I am excited to meet the girls on my floor and get to know each of them personally.”

Nevia Selmon

Nevia Selmon is a new intern from Orange, Connecticut, who will be instructing two classes of world views. “I just graduated college in May so this will be my first job post-grad,” Selmon said. She will be living in US 4 East and coaching crew in the spring. Selmon is beyond excited to meet her new students and colleagues and to be on the other side of the education system.

Christopher Schiavone ’16

Chris Schiavone is a Hill class of 2016 alum nus, who is coming back home to teach. “I wanted to come somewhere that I was already familiar with. My two brothers also attended Hill, so I knew the environment well,” Schia vone said. He will be teaching engineering and physics. While this is his first official job out of college, he is prepared, having taught some college courses, worked with a first-grade class, and taught a middle school math class. When he is not in the classroom, he will be coaching water polo alongside Doug Jones, the head coach.

Samuel Rhinehart

Samuel Rhinehart is an intern from Columbus, North Carolina, where he was born and raised. “I was originally looking for an engineering job and came across the opportunities Hill had,” Rhinehart stated. He will be teaching en gineering alongside Dr. Ehsan, as well as com puter science. While this is his first boarding school job, he has worked with students during the summer at a university. He is excited to be come a part of the boarding school experience, as he attended a public high school.

Ellen O’Brien joins the Hill community from Northern Virginia and is excited to assist students in sports performance. She will be one of the two head coaches of strength and conditioning, as well as the assistant director of athletics for sports performance. O’Brien heard about the job opening through a mutual friend, and she really came to love the school and culture. Before Hill, she worked at a board ing school in Virginia and grew up as a faculty kid in Maine, so the boarding school aspect is not new to her. O’Brien expresses how excited she is to live in US3 E and help students grow as athletes.

Bart Mestelle

Bart Mestelle is a new chemistry and honors chemistry teacher from Boise, Idaho. “My wife got a job out east, and it seemed to work perfectly to begin working at Hill, as we were planning to move to this side of the country anyways,” Mestelle explained. He described Hill as a great learning environment and extremely welcoming. “As I met with more colleagues on campus, I knew I made the right decision.” Before working at Hill, he worked at a few universities and a public high school. While he has never taught at a board ing school before, he is extremely excited to become a part of a boarding community.

Dr. Melissa Toomey

Dr. Melissa Toomey rejoins the Hill com munity after completing her Ph.D. “People always spoke highly of Hill, and I was beyond excited to return after six years,” Toomey explained. She will be teaching Latin and English. She expresses how excited she is to come back to the community, see different academic opportunities for students, and connect with colleagues. When she is not teaching in the classroom, she will also be coaching cross country.

Claudia LaMarca

Claudia LaMarca will serve as the new head girls lacrosse coach and director of student activities. Before working at Hill, she worked as a middle school counselor. “I lived in New Jersey and moved to Pennsylvania about two years ago, so I am thrilled to make the move to Hill.” she said in an interview. She is excited to create new experiences and meet students from all different horizons.

Bobbi Jo Keefer

Bobbi Jo Keefer is the new leadership direc tor coming from Lynchburg Virginia. Before working at Hill, she worked at the University of Lynchburg for the past 16 years. While she will be assisting student leaders, she hopes to work with faculty leadership as well. “I con sider leadership a passion, so accepting this job was easy for me.” While she described teaching at a university similar to Hill, she also acknowledges the structure differences. “I am excited to teach somewhere new and help students and faculty alike.” Keefer will also be a Rolfe dormitory affiliate and assist Hobart’s Run.

Profé Kirby Varnadoe-Russ

Profé Kirby Varnadoe-Russ is originally from the Raleigh-Durham area but will be joining Hill from their latest home in Paraguay, South America. They will be teaching Spanish 1, 3 honors, and 4 honors. When not in the class room they will be a dorm parent in Hillrest, coaching girls' tennis, and co-coaching fenc ing in the winter. “At Hill it felt as though the whole Kirby was appreciated and welcomed here.” They are excited to live on campus and see various aspects of them colleagues’ and students’ lives. “I’m excited to live in synchro ny with young people and learn from them as well,” she said.

Elle O’Brien

In the upcoming 2022-2023 school year, The Hill welcomes 16 new faculty and 7 new interns. From chemistry teachers to strength and conditioning coaches, these fresh faces on campus are excited to become a part of the Hill Family. They ex press great interest in meeting fellow students, colleagues, and community members.

Michael Boyer

Michael Boyer will be joining Hill from Exeter Township, where he will still current ly reside with his wife and four children. He is the associate head football coach, varsity assistant baseball coach, and a counselor in the College Counseling Office. He heard about the position from a mutual friend of his and our Athletic Director Seth Eilberg. “I am truly excited about the people here and the Hill Community as a whole. It is unlike any other place I have ever called home. ” he stated in an email.

Tessie Salatas

Tessie Salatas will serve as a new instructor of mathematics, Rolfe dorm parent, girls crew head coach, and girls assistant coach. She is joining the Hill community from Monteral, Canada. “I am very excited to be a part of the Family Boarding School! I enjoy teaching in the Quadrivium, hosting family nights, chatting with the soccer team during seated lunch, getting on the water with the crew team, along with so much more!” she shared.

Valerie Berryer

Valerie Berryer is a Haitian born French teacher who grew up in Miami and New York. She will be teaching French 2, 3, 3 Honors, and 5. When she is not in the class room, she will also be assisting theater with costumes and tech. She is looking forward to meeting her students and building con nections that she will truly miss when they graduate.

Brett Bearrows

Brett Bearrows is a recent Kenyon College graduate who grew up in River Forest, Illi nois. She will be joining the Hill community as an admissions intern, dormitory parent in Upper School East, and girl’s lacrosse coach. She was connected to The Hill School by a friend on her lacrosse team at Kenyon. She is excited to get to know prospective students and families interested in joining Hill’s com munity and to spend time with students on the fields and dorms.

Alec Swartz ’13

Alec Swartz is a Hill alumnus from Birds boro, Pennsylvania. Prior to working at Hill, he worked in Philadelphia for the past two in a half years. He will be holding the Humphrey Family Intern position and will teach multimedia journalism, advanced multimedia journalism, and English 1. He is the adviser to The Hill News and a Dell dormitory affiliate, while also supporting the Humphrey Family Writing Center and its writing fellows. “Returning to Hill feels much like returning home,” he said.

Dr. Matthew Rinkevich is the new instructor of religious studies and philosophy. He is originally from Levittown, Pennsylvania, a small town about an hour away. Before com ing to Hill, he taught high school and college students. “I was urged to apply by the head master as he felt I would be a good fit for the job. I did and ended up loving the campus and environment,” Rinkevich explained. He is excited to teach on this campus as he finds Hill welcoming and exciting.

Charlie Cunningham

Charlie Cunningham is an intern from Pequannock, New Jersey who will be assisting in regular, AP, and advanced economics. He will be coaching JV soccer and varsity wres tling. He found Hill through Head of School Zach Lehman and visited the school within the next week. “I am excited to meet a bunch of new people from different backgrounds and to continue working and learning in an academic environment.” stated Cunningham in an email.

Tanya Sepela

Tanya Sepela will be joining Hill from Har risburg, Pennsylvania. She will join the Hill community by teaching English 2 and English 4. Sepela will also be assisting with cross coun try and indoor track. She found out about Hill through her sister’s friend, who strongly recom mended she apply. She is excited to meet new faculty, staff, and students.

Jodi Robinson

Jodi Robinson, the new co-director of college counseling, will be joining Hill from a bit of all over the country. From growing up in Ohio to living in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Massachus setts, and West Virginia, she has had a bit of it all. While also holding the title of co-director of college counseling, she will be a dormitory affiliate of Dell and work with the community service group during the winter. When asked how she found Hill she responded with, “I have worked with both Ellen Deitrich and Lauren Hoyt through the PA ACAC (professional orga nization) and in doing college office program ming.” She expresses her excitement in helping students pursue further education and find their dream college.

Hans Doerr

Hans Doerr will be joining the Hill communi ty from Loganton, Pennsylvania. He will be a History teacher, faculty liaison, weight training coach, and rowing coach. He attended Hill in his teen years, following in his fathers footsteps who also attended the school. He expresses how excited he is to join the community and to have full weekends with his younger sons as we no longer have Saturday classes.

Tiffany Doerr

Tiffany Doerr will serve as the new learning C\ coordinator at The Hill. She is originally from Palmyra, Pennsylvania, and just recently moved from the Kent School with her husband Hans Doerr. She found Hill as her husband attended the school when he was in high school, and was excited when the opportunity arose to come back to Hill. Doerr describes Hill as having a strong sense of community and family, a great environment to raise her boys Robert and Patrick. The Doerr family will live in Foster and cannot wait to meet all the new faces.

Riya Ahuja

Riya Ahuja is originally from New Delhi, India where she spent fifteen years of her life before moving to Singapore for high school. She will be interning in AP economics, entrepreneur ship, and financial literacy. She will also be assisting as a boys and girls golf coach for JV and Varsity. She found Hill through Mr. Leh man who reached out to her on Linkedin. She is excited about meaningful relationships with the students. “It’s my 3rd week here and this has already been one of my most rewarding experi ences,” Ahuja said.

Dr. Matthew Rinkevich

A sleeper hit comes to Netflix

By LUKE GERDEMAN ’23 ARTS & LEISURE EDITOR

We are drowning in comic book adaptations. Nowadays, there is a TV show about any comic book character-- from Batman’s butler, Alfred Pennyworth, to three entire movies centered on the character Hell boy. It’s at the point where major studies have seem ingly exhausted every well-known comic book char acter. Spider-Man and Batman have essentially been done to death at this point. However, Netflix may just be ending this long-lasting run of unimpressionable adaptations with their spin-off of Neil Gaiman’s well-known, DC comic series “The Sandman.” Beginning in 1989, “The Sandman” graphic novels follow Morpheus, the Lord of Dreams, as he attempts to bring order to a chaotic human world. This com ic is unlike other, more “traditional” comics, as Gaiman includes mytho logical characters from various cul tures and numerous historical figures to craft his tale.

Produced by Gaiman, the ten-episode Netflix series serves as an incredibly accurate adaptation of the original, allowing the comic to reach a new, larger audience.

Tom Sturridge’s performance of Morpheus is ephemeral, allow ing viewers to both accurately and personally experience the comic. Furthermore, the thrilling writing provides the opportunity for the audience to connect with and un derstand Gaiman’s unconventional ideas. For example, episode six be comes a pivotal point for the show, as scenes explore the concepts of death and friendship. Honestly, this episode may be one of the best in all of televi sion this year.

Despite the outstanding effort and success found in the first part of the series, in comparison, the latter half seems to move much slower and with less excitement. Additionally, the visual components in its cinema

tography and color grading fail to match the quality of the rest of the show. It’s truly a shame to have the bril liant colors of the comic be turned into muted blues and grays on the TV screen.

Despite some unimpressive cinematography and lackluster character work in the later episodes, “The Sandman” is a great first step for a series with incredi ble potential. In a modern entertainment sphere inun dated with poor comic book adaptations (I’m looking at you, “Thor: Love and Thunder”), it’s exciting to see one that stays true to the original, while also leaving a lasting impression.

New artists seek to make their mark on community

By LUKE GERDEMAN ‘23

As another academic year rolls around at The Hill, different arts groups prepare themselves for new experiences and artistic efforts. Faculty members across each department are taking steps forward, and one of the major elements of this is the new students coming to campus. Many new painters, musicians, and performers are coming, and we are excited to welcome them and see what they bring to the com munity.

This year, Hill is gaining many new visual art ists, many of whom are joining the art department’s studio art program. Incoming 3rd former Grace Car roll ’26 is just one of those many students. Growing up pursuing art at a young age, she is “very excited to pursue art at Hill and have an opportunity to try new techniques and broaden [her] skill set.” Students like Carroll will utilize the resources at Hill to grow as an artist, strengthening her skill set and learning new techniques.

Similarly, Crystal Zhao ’26, another 3rd former, wants to improve her abilities at Hill. “I wish to im prove my drawing skills as well, especially at paint ing—I have a lot to learn at using colors.” These tal ented artists will continue to develop and redefine the visual arts department on campus.

Orchestra will also add new members to its ranks this year. One of these is Liyan Sun, a cellist with eight years of experience. She began participating in or chestra during elementary school, and since then, has grown into an accomplished musician. She has par ticipated in several different ensembles, including an annual pit orchestra and a cello quartet in support of underprivileged people. At Hill, she hopes to improve

the cello section of the orchestra and play a role in “potentially expanding musical opportunities.”

Chris McGriff, director of the Ellis Theatre Guild, will also see many new arrivals during the 2022-2023 school year. Of these, the Ellis Theatre Guild has two new 5th form members, Devon Smith ’24 and Holly Mason ’24.

Smith, who previously performed as Cinna in last year’s production of “The Hunger Games,” is excited to immerse himself in the Hill community and share his passion for theater with his peers.

Mason also has experience in the artform, spending years of time as a dancer, singer, and ac tor. Anticipating the prospect of joining this community, they are both ready for more unique and innovative shows to come.

Artists across all fields should look forward to a season containing these new strong voices. We are excited to wel come these talented students to campus and can’t wait to see everything they will accomplish!

Left hand free - alt-j

Maybe you have good taste, or you’re just a really big Spiderman fan, but either way this alternative classic is a staple for the early morn ing grind. It has the perfect amount of energy, grunge, and rhythm to start the day.

SHOOP - SALT-N-PEPA

You can’t hit the classroom without a dose of 90’s rap; Salt-N-Pepa brings it all in this upbeat, funky, provocative top hit. Don’t forget the fries!

TAP IN - SAWEETIE

A more current rap hit, Saweetie brings the energy for your morning routine, workouts, post-class dance party—really anything that requires a hype. The lyrics, while somewhat immodest, can be transformed to a motivational anthem (junior year, anybody?).

NIGHT CHANGES - ONE DIRECTION

Maybe it’s the feeling of a new year, or the change in seasons this time of year, but either way, I can’t help but go back to this classic. It’s bitter sweet and melancholy, with just a bit of hope to get you through these chilly months.

THROUGH THE WALL - LUTHER (FT. NOEL APONTE)

This track originally gained traction through TikTok for its unique rhythmic structure. A stimulating, yet dissociative track that somewhat re sembles the genius of Kanye, “Through the wall” is sure to at least make you think, “huh that was weird”.

MASTER OF PUPPETS - METALLICA

While this track topped charts over the summer due to its stunning feature on the hit series Stranger Things, it certainly stands out in its own right. It’s angry, gritty, and commanding-- the perfect background with which to grind out success.

SAY SO/LIKE THAT (MASHUP) - DOJA CAT

With this caviar of getting-ready songs, this mashup creates an energy that is nothing less than immaculate. From the beat, to the cha risma in the lyrics, to the flawless transition between the two songs, this mashup is a must-have.

ONLY THE GOOD DIE YOUNG - BILLY JOEL

You didn’t think that The Man himself wouldn’t make the list, did you? While perhaps not his most soulful melody, this song is upbeat, classy, with just a hint of nostalgia—perfect for the start of the school year.

BILLIE JEAN - MICHAEL JACKSON

Followed by The Man, we have The King. While certainly not a hidden gem, this anthem is MJ’s top hit for a reason. Between the groove of the lyrics, the pop of the beat, and the stunning vocals, this track brings it all. It’s a classic, a relic, and an absolute necessity.

Tom

Playlist curated by ELLA GRINDLE

Hill students past and present reflect on Hill’s future

By HARLIV SINGH

Since its opening in 1851, The Hill School has been known as the “family boarding school.” Al though the underlying foundation of the institution has remained constant, nearly every aspect of Hill has transformed through the years. As a four-year lega cy student, I have heard, witnessed and experienced many of the vicissitudes that have marked life at The Hill.

When I recently spoke with my father and Hill alumnus, Ron Singh ’93, he recalled that “as an allmale preparatory institution in the early ’90s, there was limited focus on gender and race issues.” How ever, there was a focus on social issues that stemmed from the upheaval in the 1970s. “For instance, we had a year-long focus on the legacy of the Vietnam War with presentations from veterans who included facul ty and Hill alumnus Oliver Stone,” Singh said.

The school was also more traditional in main taining Saturday classes, required Sunday evening chapel, and three seated meals every weekday.

When I entered Hill in 2019 as a 3rd former, I was overwhelmed by school spirit and focus on tra dition. The L’ville pep rally in the Gillison court was part of my favorite memory at Hill. Covid-19 and the spotlight on social justice, however, have changed the social landscape of the campus.

On March 24, 2020, students received a notifi

cation from the Head of School, Zachary Lehman, through email: “After a great deal of thought and con sultation, we have decided to keep our campus closed and continue our Virtual Hill program indefinitely.”

Upon our return to campus, Saturday classes re turned, seated meals were discontinued, L’Ville week end was canceled, and school traditions suffered. Our good fortune of being open and back in person was tempered by the challenges of social distancing and health protocols.

Much like the rest of the world, our microcosm of the Hill suffered from poor morale and the chal lenges the pandemic brought us. After two years, it feels as if we are finally turning a corner this year with a welcomed return to “Hillness.”

In 2020, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery became the faces of the Black Lives Matter and social justice reform movement that have in spired change within our Hill community and society at large. Organizations like DEI and schoolwide for mal and informal conversations helped us recognize the disparities that continue to exist. Without a doubt, our classes, to varying degrees, have been influenced and shaped by ongoing awareness of societal injustice.

As I look ahead to my final year, I look forward to seeing how Hill continues to progress and move forward. With the introduction of a new academic schedule and the search for our new Head of School, a new era of the “family boarding school” awaits us.

Campus News Off-Campus News Features Layout Social Media Managers

Editors-in-Chief Visual Managing Editors

Ryann Holladay ’24 Jennie Ki ’23 Ella Grindle ’24 Emilie Kirschner ’23 Ariana Polevshchikova ’23 MoniYah Person-Henderson ’23 Diemmy Dang ’24

Anna Carroll ’23, Jason Zhou ’23 Aidan Ma ’23, Carrie Shang ’23

Online Editor Opinion Arts & Leisure Sports Head Illustrator Head Photographer

Jaewan Lee ’25

Corbin Cartagine ’23 Luke Gerderman ’23 Rose Flaherty ’23 Adelyn Sim ’24 Erick Sun ’24

Staff Writers & Staff Contributers Emerson Leger ’25, Yina Yao ’25, Patrick Gao ’25, Nicole Kwan ’24, Daphne Wong ’24, Marshall Welch ’24, Cici Fang ’24, Angela Jin ’24, David Slavtcheff ’24, Angie Chi ’23, Rachel Hwang ’25, Helen Zhang ’25, Mac Sims ’23, Kate O’Brien ’25, Harliv Singh ’23

Faculty Advisers Alec Swartz, Nancy Body

Content Policy

The Hill News is the student-run news paper of The Hill School. Content is de termined by and reflects the views of the student editorial board and staff and not school officials or the School itself. The Hill News acts as an open forum for stu dent expression where they have com plete control over the content produced.

Want to contribute to The Hill News? Come to our weekly meetings TBA or con tact a member of our staff. To submit a letter to the editors or an opinion piece, email acarroll23@thehill.org, zzhou23@thehill.org, ama23@thehill.org, hshang23@thehill.org.

What’s up with gas prices?

By MAC SIMS STAFF WRITER

Brittney Griner’s story shows how Amer ica fails its citizens in extradition

By CORBIN CARTAGINE

In recent news, WNBA star Brittney Griner has been arrested in Russia for the possession of cannabis oil. Due to the failures of the Unit ed States federal government to negotiate her extradition to the United States, Griner now faces a grim reality of harsh and unjust imprisonment in Russia. For those who may be unfamiliar with the legal term, extradition is defined as, “the surrender of an alleged criminal usually under the provisions of a treaty or statute by one authority (such as a state) to another having jurisdiction to try the charge.” If Griner was extradited to the United States, she would certainly face a much fairer and unbiased justice system. With that being said, the United States State department has failed drastically thus far in their negotiations with Russian powers.

To understand the prosecution of Brittney Griner, it is incredibly important to understand the crime itself that has placed her under such legal scrutiny.

Griner was arrested at the Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow with a vape containing a minuscule amount of cannabis oil. Furthermore, Griner’s defense attorneys have presented evi dence that she was medically prescribed cannabis to alleviate the chronic pain that she experiences. Griner has been kept in the harsh environment of a Russian jail, and it does not seem like she

will be getting out anytime soon. Griner has been sentenced to 9 years in prison by a Russian judge (only one year under the maximum sentence allowed).

In response to the unjust punishment that Griner is facing, the United States government has attempted to negotiate an extradition treaty with the Russian authorities, but so far, their efforts have been futile.

The US State department has even gone as far as to offer the extradition of notorious Russian arms dealer, Victor Bout, in exchange for the extradition of Brittney Griner and another Amer ican prisoner, Paul Whelan. Furthermore, there are now talks of Alexander Vinnik, a Russian cyber-criminal, being included in the release deal as well. Quite frankly, this is a very lopsided and generous offer. Nonetheless, the government is drastically failing to display a show of strength and poise that would encourage Russia to allow for the extradition of Brittney Griner. They have made generous offers and have spent a tremendous amount of time and resources, but quite frankly Putin is unintimidated by the current administra tion in such negotiations.

The fact of the matter is that Brittney Griner is unjustly serving a harsh sentence within the flawed justice system of a foreign country. The United States has a clear obligation to maintaining a sense of safety and justice for its constituents even in matters overseas. Thus far, the United States has failed to do so in the case of Brittney Griner.

Unless you’re the proud owner of an electric car, it’s likely you’ve had a bit of sticker shock at the pump this summer. Hit ting a record high in the early weeks of summer, gas prices in the United States have made a drastic 68% increase since the begin ning of the year. As a prod uct of this, the financial commodity has become a subject of frequent discus sion. So, what really caused all of this? Like most eco nomic conclusions, it’s complicated. There are four main factors that de termine the price of gas: refinement, taxes, distri bution/marketing, and the crude oil market. The largest of these is crude oil, an unrefined form of oil that is not yet ready for use, accounting for 67%, on average, of the price you pay for either diesel or regular gasoline. Fluctua tions in this market have had the largest impact on gas prices over the past few months, however, the cause of such alterations can be traced all the way back to the beginning of the pandemic.

As the pandemic blos somed, many found themselves fearful to travel outside of their immediate communities. The eventual introduction of quarantines, the shut down of the physical retail market, and the shift towards a virtual society made the demand for gas plummet. Public utility companies also didn’t meet their regular rate of supply, causing the de mand for crude oil to nosedive. In order to restore this mitigated demand, a synonymous supply shift was needed. To accelerate the process of such shifts, oil mines, refineries, and companies all engaged in an economic tactic known as price regulation, a practice that dictates how the fee at which certain commodities or products may be sold. In late spring of 2020, gas prices reduced to an average of $1.96 per gallon, a figure that seems bizarre in today’s world. Now, over two years later, the pandemic has become a significantly reduced threat, leading to an increase in public, private, and independent transportation. This shift back towards “normal” travel standards left oil compa nies slow to respond, due to the number of rigs they decommissioned and workers they laid off

during the pandemic. In sum, booming demand met an extremely limited supply, driving prices up.

Another major contributor to these prices stems from a buildup of international turmoil in the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Although never hav ing taken military action, the US did its best to aid Ukraine domestically. Government sanctions largely fractured Russia’s economy and indepen dent US enterprises, such as Apple and Visa, froze operations in the nation. In retaliation to this, Russia has been selling less of their many natu ral resources, the largest of these being crude oil. Contributing to over 8% of US crude oil imports, Russian oil caused a severe supply deficit in the states, pushing prices even further.

The coalescence of these two international tragedies shook more than just our hearts, but the functioning world as we know it. Despite this, gas prices have been slowly, but consistently, trend ing downwards, sitting at a national average of $3.71 as of September 10. However, this result is not shocking. Amidst tragedy, whether it be war, famine, or even an international pandemic, time and time again the market has prevailed.

ILLUSTRATION AIDAN

Fall athletics kick off with new players, faculty, and spirit

By ROSE FLAHERTY ’23 & KATE O’BRIEN EDITOR STAFF

Each year, we see changes in the Hill athletic department, and this upcoming year is no different with the introduction of new coaches, students, and postgraduates.

In the weight room Hill wel comes Elle O’Brien as the assistant director of athletics for sports perfor mance and Bart Mestelle as the head coach of strength and conditioning. Having two strength coaches is new for the program, providing greater opportunity to support student ath letes and to grow the program. “I am looking forward to supporting Hill Athletics in all endeavors whether it is in the weight room, or on the field, court, ice, etc. I chose to work at Hill because as soon as I stepped on cam

pus, it became apparent that The Hill lives up to its name as “The Family Boarding School”. Both O’Brien and Mestelle look forward to refining the strength and conditioning program.

In addition, there will also be a few assistant coaches joining them.

Late last spring, Hill welcomed Di rector of Student Activities Claudia LaMarca as the new head girls la crosse coach. In an email, Lamarca wrote that she is excited about being a part of the community at Hill.

“The people I’ve had the chance to connect and work alongside thus far have been amazing supports in help ing me accli mate and adjust. I’m excited to do the same for students, both new and return ing! I previous ly worked as a school counselor, so in my role as Director of Stu dent Activities, I

am excited to be able to work along side students in new and exciting ways, such as planning and execut ing the weekend activities! In addi tion, I look forward to leading the lacrosse team and cultivating a tight knit group both on and off the field,” LaMarca stated.

As well as coaches, we have also welcomed a great number of new students into our Hill community. Will Reger ’23 is an incoming post graduate from Radnor, Pennsylva nia. He formerly attended Radnor High School. Reger is planning on playing soccer and baseball during his time at Hill, with baseball being his primary sport. “I chose Hill for its long history of being an elite prep school both academically and ath letically,” Reger said. He is excited to fully immerse himself into the Hill community, making lifelong friend ships and unforgettable memories.

Whether new or returning, all student-athletes are excited to em brace these new changes throughout the athletic department. As students begin to arrive on campus, athletes hope to see their classmates fill up the stands and show their Hill pride.

Preseason athletes share their favorite moments

By ROSE FLAHERTY ’23 SPORTS

This year, football pre season kicked off August 20, and the remaining teams began August 25. Each team has time to bond, work hard, and get a head start on their season. Student athletes cherish the time they spend with their teammates during preseason.

Take a look at some high lights from each fall team:

“I took the first day of preseason as a memory for my 6th form year. The start of my last preseason,” Maggie Kondrath ’23 said.

Andrew Mannato ’23 shared that his favorite moment of preseason with the team was the mini-golf date with the field hockey team. “We love the tradition and it’s always a good time with both teams.”

boys cross country Girls cross country

Captain Benji Wang ’23 said the team has had a work hard, play hard motto this preseason. “This may range from several 3-7 mile runs each day to plenty of Super Smash Bros and Explod ing Kittens. The boys are making amazing progress and are excited for the coming season,” Wang said.

Captain Sam Cifra ’23 said, “A highlight from the preseason would be our team bonding meetings. There was one where we did a scavenger hunt around campus and a lip-synching battle.”

Girls soccer Boys soccer Football

Captain Colette Zidek ’23 enjoyed valuable time with her teammates. She said, “A highlight would be dining hall bonding time and of course mini golf as a team!”

Shunji Lewandowski ’24 thought the highlight was spending time with his teammates outside of the pool. “I have had a lot of fun bonding and getting to know my teammates in and out of the pool. This year we have three new postgrads as well as one new 3rd former. Having that addition to the team has made this preseason exciting,” Lewandowski said.

“I was really looking forward to having the opportunity to watch the US Open. It was a lot of fun and inspiring for me and my teammates,” Carrington Bernabei ’24 said

“The preseason was the team to 6th former, Sam Soder man’s house. We got to eat good food, hang out and swim. It was a good time getting to have fun with the team,” Cole Billotta ’23 said.

Girls tennis girls water polo boys water polo

“The highlight from preseason was watching Harry Potter in the common room with our team,” Sophie Harberson ’24 said.

Will Reger ’23 bats for his team prior to attending Hill.

PHOTO COURTESY SARAH BENDER

Preseason a at

Aside for their fall season. and together an environment that brings teams closer.

PHOTO

Boys’

Claudia Lamarca joins The Hill from Souderton Area High School as the varsity girls’ lacrosse coach.

Field Hockey