The Lion's Roar 39-4

VOL. 39 ISSue 4

By Bella Ishanyan and Matan Josephy Graphic by Adrienne Lirio

The Full Story

Newton South High School · Newton, MA Est. 1984 · November 4, 2022

R AR

the LION'S

The decline of Newton's local press hurts the core of its government and community

Newton's Second Indigenous People's Day

03

Stories of Never Feeling Enough

10

Getting the Full Story

12-14

Finding Your Niche

18

Girls Soccer Shoots for the Sky

20

November 4, 2022

NEWS issuu.com/thelionsroar

Volume 39, Issue 4

October in Review graphics by Emily Cheng

By Jaesuh Lee I only did the musical in sixth grade at my middle school, [but] here, they're a lot more dedicated.

Ariel Gabay freshman photo courtesy of South Stage

Frosh Play "Writers Blocked" This year's frosh play, Writer’s Blocked, was performed on Oct. 20, 21 and 22. The freshmen’s first South Stage production was a collection of short 10-minute sketches centered around the theme of writing. Many actors played two roles within the play, requiring more rehearsals, which started Sept. 19. Other than the tighter deadline, rehearsals went smoothly and the production received rave reviews.

My favorite part of the play was “If at First” because it was the funniest in my opinion of all the mini-plays and it had so much energy.

Andrew Lindsay freshman

While tax increases often get a bad reputation,I think they’re very important in making sure our community runs smoothly and that everyone’s needs are taken care of.

Hyunkyung Lee Newton resident

photo courtesy of Newton News

Fuller Proposes Tax Override The general operating override of $9.175 million includes seven elements, $4.5 million for our public schools, to support a strong and engaging program of academic study that meets the needs of all learners.

Ruthanne Fuller mayor of Newton via Newton News

During a City Council meeting on Oct. 17, Mayor Ruthanne Fuller proposed an override to the statewide caps on municipal tax collection. The override would increase property tax revenue by $14.975 million per year, but $5.8 million of that increase would not be permanent. If passed by voters, the override would provide funds for various city-wide projects including street pavement and traffic safety, senior citizen services and sustainability projects, as well as improvements to Countryside, Horace Mann and Franklin elementary schools.

I [listen to] what the people around me are saying. Some people are definitely more politically involved than I am, so I hear what my peers are saying and what the adults around me think.

photo courtesy of wgbh.org

Students Prepare to Vote in November State Elections As the Nov. 8 election rapidly approaches, newly eligible South students are preparing to vote for the first time. Among the many positions up for election are decisions for the new governor, attorney general and secretary of state. Also on the ballot is the Fair Share Amendment, a ballot measure proposing an additional 4% tax for residents earning over $1 million in personal income.

Sarah Scarr senior

It's really going to be a massive influence because there are a lot more young kids' opinions compared to previous years where it was mostly the opinions of old people.

Jake Cheong senior

issuu.com/thelionsroar

news | page 3

Newton Celebrates its Second Indigenous People's Day On Oct. 10, speakers, vendors and community members gathered at Albermarle Field to celebrate Newton's second annual Indigenous Peoples Day.

By Alex Zakuta

photo by Alex Zakuta

Attendees of the Indigenous Peoples Day celebration join the festival's organizing committee members for an intertribal dance

O

n Oct. 10, hundreds of residents spent their day off at Albemarle Field, immersed in Indigenous art, music and food. What once was a celebration of Christopher Columbus has become a celebration of the history and contributions of the vibrant Native American community living in Massachusetts.

The Newton City Council voted in November 2020 to rename Columbus Day as Indigenous Peoples Day. Following this decision, the Newton Indigenous Peoples Day Committee, made up of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous volunteers, formed and has since hosted two annual celebrations to honor the holiday.

Chali’Naru Dones, Newton resident and member of the Taino tribe, co-founded the events. She said that the primary purpose of the festivity is to recognize and acknowledge the presence of Native people.

Our main mission and goal is to simply highlight and uplift the voices of the indigenous community, not only in this region.

Robert Quesada Fundraising and event coordinator

“Our ceremonial celebration is to honor all Indigenous peoples across Turtle Island [North America] and also mourn the Indigenous peoples that were once on these lands,” she said. “We want to deter people from the false narratives that Indigenous peoples no longer exist. We are still here. That is huge in our community.”

Fundraising and Event Coordinator Robert Quesada attended the event with his family and participated in the tribal dance. He said that although the celebration takes place in Newton, he wants to honor Indigenous people of all descents.

“Our main mission and goal is to simply highlight and uplift the voices of the Indigenous community not only in this region here, but across Turtle Island as well,” he said.“Everyone has a chance to draw from the connections that Indigenous people are preserving in our world,” he said.

Educator Claudia Fox Tree participated in the Indigenous Peoples Day event as a speaker and a vendor. She said that celebrating the holiday highlights previously unrecognized influences of Native Americans on the community.

“The impact is making visible what has been invisible, which is that Indigenous people have made many contributions to the modern world,” she said. “Given that we live on Indigenous land, the impact is acknowledging and understanding that there was a history and a culture here that we have all benefited from.”

It is especially crucial that youth are involved, Quesada said.

“When the world passes into our youth’s

The impact is making visible what has been invisible, which is that indigenous people have made many contributions to the modern world.

Claudia Fox Tree Educator and speaker at event hands, they can make decisions on honoring and respecting and keeping these traditions alive,” he said.

South history teacher Katherine Wildman Zinger said that Indigenous representation in history is important to teach and honor.

“It's important to complicate our narratives in order to get at many perspectives in history,” she said.

Fox Tree said that educators who include Indigenous Peoples Day in their curriculum are taking a step in the right direction.

“Every single event that happened in what we call U.S. history has a Native American Indigenous perspective, and therefore anything that we teach about what happened on this continent or this country needs to have the Indigenous perspective because it's the people who are here,” she said.

South sophomore Chloe Hu said that

our studies should focus on the people who were hurt rather than those who caused suffering.

“For too long, history has been focused on the colonizer side and less on the people who are actually displaced and face actual hardships,” she said.

This starts with learning the land we all live on, Quesada said.

“Every kid needs to know the name of the native tribe that lived there before their town was there,” he said. “They should know the language and they should know a little bit about the people and respecting the land that native people have taken care of for so long.”

In addition to educating those in Newton about Indigenous Peoples Day, Quesada said that the holiday should be recognized on a broader scale.

“There should be not just federal recognition, but I believe that there should be more federal resources made for communities who are trying to highlight and preserve the Indigenous cultures of their community,” he said.

Quesada said that ultimately, re-educating the public about what truly happened when Columbus arrived is at the center of recognizing Indigenous Peoples Day. “Celebrating Indigenous people helps to un-marginalize these communities that have been affected by 500 years of oppression, genocide and other facets of colonization,” he said. “I hope that folks learn and ask questions about the things that they had learned when they grew up when it comes to the context of believing the false stories of Columbus and his voyages.”

page 4 | news

the lion's roar

Meddlesome Monitoring Monitoring and blocking software on South's network impedes student usage

By Ella Hurwitz, Liv Middien and Lily Zarr

W

hen senior Ryan Chitty attempted to research Chinese viewpoints on current events while at school, he said he discovered that every website he tried to access was blocked.

All devices connected to a Newton Public Schools (NPS) network are subject to its filtering, which sometimes blocks educational websites to the detriment of students like Chitty.

NPS also records student activity and stores it on backup servers, which Steven Rattendi, NPS’ Director of Information Technology & Library Services, said is required for the district to receive federal funding.

“We accept money from the federal government, which requires us to limit student access to certain sites like pornography, illicit activity and a couple of other categories that

they specifically require us to filter,” he said.

“We also do it because in many cases parents want us to, and we think it's a good idea for eliminating distractions in the classroom as much as we possibly can.”

Installed on all school-issued Chromebooks is Deledao, a web filtering software that monitors student activity and blocks certain content.

Although all student activity is recorded, Rattendi said that administrators only review individual students’ activity over a specific period of time when an incident requiring review occurs.

“If you look at the rights and responsibilities handbook and student policies on technology use, students don't actually have any rights to privacy on our network or on

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by C

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our equipment. Technically, there is nothing there that legally stops us from looking at what students are doing if we wanted to,” he said.

“With that said, we don't actively monitor. We are only monitoring [if ] an incident occurs.”

Despite disliking that the district tracks his activity, senior Fahran Bajaj said that he has more of an issue with the blocking software.

“When I used my Chromebook, I tried not to do anything weird on it. … It is a little unsettling though that I can’t delete my history, but I wasn't ever too concerned about that,” he said. “I was more annoyed about the blocking software. There are certain Google Drive features that I couldn't use because my school account was blocked from them, and that was the only account I could use on my Chromebook.”

When Bajaj wanted to use Google Colab, a programming application that is blocked by default on Chromebooks, he and a parent had to sign a consent and release form to unblock the application for his account.

Junior Leah Vashevko, who programmed NSHS Site, a school schedule generator, said that restricting some of these websites is unreasonable.

“Whenever they try to block social media, it doesn't really work because you realize that logically social media [can be] for schoolrelated things and it makes things a lot more convenient,” she said.

Sophomore Ellie Lemberg said that the content restrictions have made completing schoolwork inconvenient when she’s working on her school-issued Chromebook.

“In eighth grade, we were trying to watch this video about pandas for some sort of science project. That video was under restricted mode, even though it was literally just the day in the life,” she said.

Junior Kevin Yang, who co-created abSENT, an app that notifies students when their classes are canceled, said that these limits pose a problem to students who only have access to a school-issued computer.

“A problem arises when a student does not have another computer to use. … Having a Chromebook, which tracks everything that you do, and that being the device that allows you to access the internet is a little creepy,” he said. “Something needs to be done about that. If you're not on the school network, the information should not be trapped.”

Although he supports some restrictions at school, Chitty said that there should be a convenient way for students to get educational websites unblocked.

“There are people who can't be totally trusted to do whatever at school, but it cuts out too many websites,” he said.“[There should be] a system that makes it easier for students to report when there are websites that are blocked that shouldn't be.”

Rattendi said that NPS is thoughtful about the content it blocks, and above all, tries to support students’ proper use of technology.

“For the most part, we actually strike a balance between trying to help kids navigate things versus completely blocking them. There are lots more things that we could block,” he said.

“At the high school level, we do allow a certain degree of social media. We don't at the middle school. … It's like the different progression of what students are allowed to do along the way.”

news | page 5

issuu.com/thelionsroar

Students react to new school lunch policy Jenny Lee & Justin Liu News Reporters

At the end of summer, Newton Public Schools’ website announced that South would be transitioning from the federal Seamless Summer Option lunch program, which was implemented during the pandemic and provided unlimited grab-and-go meals to students, to the National School Lunch Program.

Under the new policy, first meals are free; however, with meals now tracked through students’ LASID number at the register, students must pay $5.50 for second meals and individual prices for snack items.

Additionally, students must take a comple-

Right now we make around 750 to 800 meals a day. It can be hard to meet this expectation ...

I think our staff does the best we can in hopes that everybody goes home with a full belly.

Maria Meade chief cafeteria manager

mentary fruit and dairy product for their first meal — if a student doesn’t, they will be charged.

Sophomore Maya Hayao said that the requirement of fruit and dairy promotes food waste. She said that although she appreciates the attempt to push more nutritious meals, high school students should be responsible for their own nutrition.

“When I look at the trash, it’s always filled with unwrapped fruits. I feel like people eat their fruits and vegetables at home on their own time, and we don’t need our school parenting us to eat more” she said.

Senior Sam Roberts said that waiting for students to enter their LASID numbers at the registers has made the process of getting lunch less efficient.

“The lunch lines are so long that I just don't get food until halfway through the lunch block because they're absurd,” he said.

Senior Hannah Namini said that students are discouraged from buying a second meal due to the cost.

“I interviewed the school nurses earlier this year [about eating disorders], and they said that having unlimited free lunches decreased the rate of kids passing out and going to the nurse for dizziness,” she said.

However, sophomore Naomi Sandler said that the new lunch system is an improvement from last year's.

“I like how there's broader options of food, and it definitely tastes better. I also like how there are healthier options,” she said.

photo by Mary Pierce

Students wait in line for their meals during the second lunch period of D Block.

Behind the lunch counters and manning the registers are South’s eight cafeteria workers. Maria Meade, the cafeteria’s chief manager, said that the new system has required their work to be more complex and creative.

“Last year, it was simple. We just made brown bags, and the kids would grab and go, but this year, it's different, because we serve better food and more choices,” she said.

Meade said that students’ consumption of vegetables is not under her control, and the only thing she can do is to ensure that every plate served follows government

guidelines.

“If the government comes here, and we do not have all the components on that plate, we get fined,” she said.

Meade said she wants to do better by creating more meal options like opening the deli; however, these expectations cannot be met with their limited staff.

“Right now we do around 750 to 800 meals a day” she said. “It can be hard to meet this expectation while short on staff, but at the end of the day, I think our staff does the best we can in hopes that everybody goes home with a full belly.”

Highlights from "Celebrate South Week" South held its second annual "Celebrate South Week" from Oct. 15 to Oct. 22. The week, a collaboration between class officers, school administrators, PTSO and Boosters, consisted of themed spirit days as well as sports events, free desserts, a fence-off contest and Passin' Time.

We launched Celebrate South last year to encourage students from all parts of South, to recognize, appreciate and support each other and our uniqueness as a school.

"Anything but a Backpack" spirit day

photos by Teri Ginsburg, Mateo Berger, Mary Pierce and Andrew Hill

Students cheer for the girls varsity soccer team in their game against Strongsville

We want to promote more spirit and get everyone hyped for the school year.

Our main goal is to get a lot more students motivated and to have more traditions in the school. It'll help people feel more integrated into the community and allow kids to feel more welcome.

Teri Ginsburg Booster Club President

Senior class vice president Andrew Hsu

Chloe Hu class of '25 Vice President

page 6 November 4, 2022

EDITORIALS issuu.com/thelionsroar

Volume 39, Issue 4

New attendance policy is a "NO" Amid the rush of term one’s end and college deadlines for seniors, the occasional Schoology message alerting us to meet with a dean after we’ve missed class or skipped a WIN block can serve as a seemingly unnecessary source of dread. At best, the updated attendance policy is an inconvenience in the busy life of a South student.

While we appreciate the district’s concern about students missing classes, two months in, we question whether this year’s policy is truly effective or necessary.

To understand the reasoning behind this policy, it is critical to put it in the context of last year’s attendance issue. Last year, classes began half-empty as students skipped blocks with little to no repercussions.

This year, leaders at North and South took a different approach. They decided that to earn a “Y,” meaning that the student has met the standards of the attendance policy, students would need fewer than six total absences and no more than two unexcused absences per term.

Students with more absences are given an “N” on their transcripts, signaling their failure to meet the attendance standards. Students with a note from a medical provider receive an “M” (medical grade) and are exempt from the standards. Students arriving more than 25 minutes late to a class are considered absent.

Though the document outlining this

policy meant to render the system “clear, transparent and implemented with consistency,” it provided no information on the mandatory WIN block meetings with deans that many students have become subject to.

Instead, most students became aware of this novelty during the whirlwind advisory of the first day of school. On such a hectic day, how could students have been expected to fully comprehend the new system?

The new policy comes to students after two years of pandemic policy freefall. After years of schedule changes and other inconsistencies with school policies, students want a system that is easy to understand.

We want an efficient system. As it currently stands, assistant deans are left sending thousands of individual Schoology messages to students who missed classes. In the 21st century, is it not possible to have a more efficient system to enforce attendance?

The policy wastes not only the adults’ time, but also that of the students, who have to spend WIN blocks waiting to be seen by a dean. After having missed a class or WIN block, students are ordered to report to their house offices the following day during WIN, regardless of their schedules.

Is it really efficient for students to waste a WIN that could be spent for educational purposes? This policy takes students away

from the important task of learning, instead prioritizing an inefficient bureaucracy.

Moreover, such strictly regulated attendance may have adverse effects on the physical health of the student population.

Since the policy was enacted, Roar staff reported feeling more pressure to attend class, even on days they were sick or celebrating a holiday not observed by Newton Public Schools.

In an October email update, then-Acting Principal Josepha Blocker said that students can and should stay home if they feel unwell, but the complex policy still promotes the workaholism of South’s pre-pandemic days as many have reported going to school even when sick.

Remember, the medical absence provided in the policy only works with a sick note from a healthcare provider, which is not often possible for minor illnesses.

The enforcement of the attendance policy as the workload returns to its pre-pandemic pace forces students to choose between missing important classes and receiving an unwanted absence on their transcript or attending school while sick and risking the infection of others.

Looking towards the future of this policy, it seems unlikely that the district will consider any drastic changes — after all, it is time for some consistency. However, there is room for small improvements to the policy.

For one, students should not have to

We must move away from this one-size-fits all policy, because we are not a school with a single type of student. explain their absences to a dean. Instead, they should only have a meeting in the case of a mistaken absence (if the student was actually present but marked absent). Only a small group of outliers who are consistently skipping class should be subject to more serious discussion with adults, saving both deans and students alike much trouble.

South should take a more relaxed attitude towards absences for students' mental health and for illnesses without a doctor’s note.

The issue of student absence should be a student responsibility, not always involving parent or dean intervention. Ultimately, we must move away from this one-size-fits all policy, because we are not a school with a single type of student. The attendance policy must work to acknowledge our different realities.

Volume XXXIX The Lion’s Roar Newton South High School’s Student Newspaper 140 Brandeis Road Newton, MA 02459 srstaff@thelionsroar.com

Editors-in-Chief Emily Schwartz

Eva Shimkus

Managing Editors Sarah Feinberg

Editorial Policy

The Lion’s Roar, founded in 1984, is the student newspaper of Newton South High School, acting as a public forum for student views and attitudes.

The Lion’s Roar’s right to freedom of expression is protected by the Massachusetts Student Free Expression Law (Mass. Gen. Laws Ann. ch. 71, Section 82). All content decisions are made by student editors, and the content of The Lion’s Roar in no way reflects the official policy of Newton South, its faculty, or its administration.

Editorials are the official opinion of The Lion’s Roar, while opinions and letters are the personal viewpoints of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Lion’s Roar. The Lion’s Roar reserves the right to edit all submitted content, to reject advertising copy for resubmission of new copy that is deemed acceptable by student editors, and to make decisions regarding the submission of letters to the editors, which are welcomed.

The Lion’s Roar is printed by Seacoast Newspapers and published every four weeks by Newton South students. All funding comes from advertisers and subscriptions.

In-school distribution of The Lion’s Roar is free, but each copy of the paper shall cost one dollar for each copy more than ten (10) that is taken by any individual or by many individuals on behalf of a single individual. Violation of this policy shall constitute theft.

Julian Phillips

Sarah Wei

Section Editors News

Grace Dempsey Jaesuh Lee Julia Lee Lily Zarr

Features

Opinions

Danielle Berdichevsky Ahona Dam Annika Engelbrecht Risha Sinha Melinda Yung

Centerfold

Bella Ishanyan Matan Josephy

Sports

Sanjana Deshpande Ella Hou Molly Johnson Emma Zhang

Marisa MacDonald Zach Rhein John Timko Clare Tourtelotte

Photo Managers

Graphics Managers

Gianna Burgess Maureen Caulfield Ines Koci

Caitlin Ang Emily Cheng Adrienne Lirio Julie Wang

Faculty Advisor Ashley Chapman

editorials | page 7

issuu.com/thelionsroar

LETTER from the Around the Dinner Table EDITOR Sarah Wei

Managing Editor A sharp rap of chopsticks against a plate tore my attention away from my phone.

I met my mother’s eyes, which scowled at me from across the dinner table as she nudged the broccoli towards me.

“Don’t get distracted. Focus on eating.”

Our daily family dinners demand our full attention: there are no TV dinners, no meals on our desks, no crumbs on the bed allowed.

We are expected to be promptly seated at 7 p.m., arriving with empty stomachs and our best attitudes.

Our kitchen table is a carefully curated display of four sets of chopsticks and bowls of rice. In the middle lies the night’s offering — a vat of steaming soup, a plate of sauteed vegetables and at least two dishes of braised meat, all richly flavored and emulsified with Chinese spices.

Eating communally, we reach over each other in a weaving of tangled arms for spoonfuls out of shared bowls, our portions carefully monitored under my mother’s watchful gaze.

“But could I just bring this to the couch?

The Patriots are up by only … ” “No,” she curtly replies. “It’s tradition.

Families should always eat together.”

My cheeks grew hot. Our strict rules,

sharpened with my mother’s harsh tones, made me resent dinners as a child. I didn’t understand the dramatism — nothing important ever occurred during mealtime.

Our conversations seemed to solely consist of their nagging about my portion sizes or how I was doing in school. It always just seemed like more, more, more — more stalks

grandma's apartment in Shanghai, a familiar old dish triggered my mom to begin recounting her childhood experiences.

All of her most vivid recollections from when she was a kid were centered around the round table we sat around — how her parents rationed one egg per week and spent hours on the field picking free sweet potatoes, just so

Those sharp definitive commands had made me resentful and cynical towards our family. But I had just understood them wrong — they weren’t controlling or burdensome — they were just continuing the tradition and experiences that had shaped my parents as children. of celery, more refills of rice, more test grades I had to explain.

When I didn’t comply, groaning that I’d had enough, my parents ignored my complaints and reached over to pile more servings into my bowl.

The motivations behind our rigid regimentation remained a mystery to me for years, until I visited my grandparents in China in eighth grade. One night over dinner in my

they could enjoy mundane conversation every night as a family.

In their home, I learned, with her parents away working for the entire day, dinner time was sacred: a ritual of connection and appreciation for their commitment to each other.

And as I observed the hours my parents took out of their schedule every night to toil over the stove, I began to understand their creations of meatballs and fish soup and the

strict rules that surrounded them.

“Don’t get distracted.”

"It's tradition."

Those sharp definitive commands had made me resentful and cynical towards our family. But I had just understood them wrong — they weren’t controlling or burdensome — they were just continuing their tradition and the experiences that had shaped my parents as children.

Even if I didn’t always enjoy them, or wished I could just eat pizza on the couch, I began to appreciate our daily meals. I recognized the time and energy that my parents put into our family in the best way they knew how — by cooking and eating together everyday.

Our dinners aren’t about comfortability or practicality, but our shared connection and sacrifice for each other.

As I prepare to enter college in the next year, my family’s schedules have grown increasingly frantic, and we’ve migrated farther into different sections of the house. I now welcome our conversations around the dinner table, memorizing faces and soaking up old stories, knowing that the table is our strongest anchor to each other.

So every night at 7 p.m., when my mom’s declaration of “Dinner!” rings like a siren through my house, I eagerly make my way downstairs and take a seat.

page 8 November 4, 2022

OPINIONS issuu.com/thelionsroar

Volume 39, Issue 4

THE FUTURE IS STEMINISM At South and beyond, math and computer science fields are overwhelming male.

Here are the experiences of three women in STEM.

By Risha Sinha

W

alking into my first computer science class, I was terrified — not only because I was a shrimpy freshman with the courage of a naked sheep, but because I immediately felt like I didn’t belong. As the rest of the class filed in, I became more and more nervous. I couldn’t quite pinpoint why I felt so out of place. When the teacher walked in, it all made sense. Ms. Fan and I were the only women in the room.

In CS1, there were three other girls in my completely-full class. In CS2, there were only two other girls, and this year, in CS3, there is only one other girl in my class. Before I continue, I should clarify that I am not afraid of men (though looking through the news, I’d understand anyone who is). I simply decided I did not belong there because I could not connect with anyone at a surface level.

The lack of girls in higher-level computer science classes is not only demoralizing, but it’s also a symptom of a larger issue all women face in STEM fields.

As young girls, we are told to try our best in all our academic subjects. Simultaneously, we hear baseless stereotypes like “Girls are bad at math” or have our input dismissed when we work in groups.

Frankly, I had no idea of this stereotype

until an inspirational video, ironically presented on International Women’s Day, in fourth grade told me so. It began with something along the lines of: “Y’know the age-old saying that girls are bad at math? Y’know, the one that everyone believes? Well, you’re going to be the one to prove that wrong!”

That’s a pretty daunting task to put on the scrawny shoulders of a fourth grader. Not only did I have to understand fraction and decimal multiplication, but I also had to excel at it in order to combat an age-old stereotype?

A budding feminist, my fourth-grade self took this to heart. I couldn’t make a mistake and risk setting myself and my entire gender back.

As I got older and math got harder, my urge to be correct the first time continued. Not accepting anything other than perfection is a crippling way to learn. If you expect perfection from yourself from the beginning, you will repeatedly be let down when you inevitably, frequently and understandably make mistakes.

Feeling insufficient, many girls pivot away from the STEM field, causing some of the inequality in the gender makeup of STEM classes.

The lack of representation in STEM fields is not for a lack of trying. Women — or anyone who is not a white, cisgender, man —

are disadvantaged from the start because the systems and conventions in place were not built with us in mind. As women, we must be loud and assertive to get our ideas across, or we risk being seen as dumb. But when we are loud and assertive, we risk being labeled as bitches.

There’s just no winning!

Back in my freshman CS1 class, I felt out of place because the sexist rhetoric I heard throughout my childhood had manifested itself as intense impostor syndrome (for more on imposter syndrome, see page 10 ) . The pressure to be perfect so as to not confirm unfair stereotypes, combined with a lack of representation I saw inside and outside the classroom, made me feel like I did not belong in a computer science class despite having every right to be there to learn and be comfortable.

My story is just one of many. There weren’t only three other girls in my computer science class because schools give preferential

treatment to boys during registration (I hope).

Instead, the gender divide in STEM classes, especially in higher-level classes, is a result of the systematic discouragement young girls face as they grow into teenagers with the option of choosing extra STEM classes.

The solution to this problem is a fairly simple one: encourage girls from a young age to pursue futures in STEM fields, showcase more successful women in STEM, and for goodness’ sake, stop saying “Girls are bad at math!” I don’t care what the context is. No one needs to reinforce or be aware of such a gross generalization.

Looking back at my freshman computer science classes, I feel equal parts sad that I had to waste time feeling out of place and proud of myself for persevering and succeeding in those classes. Computer science is something I thoroughly enjoy, and I encourage anyone reading this to give it a shot.

graphic by Emily Cheng

FEMALE FEAR OF FAILURE

By Kate Grabowski

I

n fourth grade, my mom signed me up for an after-school extracurricular math class.

When my friend and I walked into the class of 18, I was dismayed to find that we were just two of four girls. I was instantly overcome with dread; I felt like I wasn't welcome.

Seeing so few girls made me feel like we weren’t supposed to be there. I could feel the tears welling up, and I hated myself for crying because I didn’t want boys to see me as an emotional and fragile little girl.

At just 10-years-old, I felt the weight of proving my own internalized sexism wrong.

In my mind, if I answered a question wrong or expressed emotion, they would be right in thinking I don’t belong. During the entire class, I was scared to talk or try the work because I was terrified I'd get it wrong and everyone would

think it was because I was a girl. I ended up quitting after only three classes.

I’ve always been good at math, but at the same time, I've always put myself down much more in math classes by refusing to push myself and risk being wrong. Recently, one of my friends explained to me that young boys are pushed to try new things while everyone else is encouraged to give up if they fail once and to strive for perfection, not progress.

Given the experimental nature of the STEM field, many people who are fully capable of excelling are pushed away. All non-male-identifying people in STEM need to be more fully supported in the STEM fields through mentorship programs and increasing awareness so that they can build confidence from a young age.

IS THE FUTURE FEMALE?

By Irene Gonzalez de las Casas

G

rowing up, my mom always told me stories about her science classes in college.

She started as an aeronautical engineer major but switched to a chemical engineering major, and she would recount how she was always the minority in her classes.

Yet this did not stop my mom. She excelled in her classes, but as the years moved on and her classrooms switched to floors without bathrooms for women, she started to notice how outnumbered she truly was.

I’ve always wondered if I would have a similar experience in my science classes. If I decided to take the STEM route for college, would I have an experience similar to my mom’s?

Or are we finally inching toward equilibrium in STEM? I believe having a diverse range of people in any field allows the field to grow, as

more voices can be heard.

After over 20 years working in heavy industry, my mom tells me that more and more women are joining the STEM field.

This gives me hope that one day, perhaps if I choose to pursue a career in STEM, I will have the opportunity to see a diverse range of people in my classes and in my industry.

As I reflect on my life and school thus far, I can see the slow progression toward change. Higher-level classes are making their way towards some sort of balance. More girls are signing up for these classes, and clubs like the “Women in STEM” one we have here at South allow girls to feel a much-needed sense of community.

We are fired up and ready to take on whatever challenges are thrown our way.

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UPGRADE

opinions| page 9

9

CAMPUS CHATTER

The Lion's Roar asked...

What is your favorite Halloween candy, and why?

Taylor Swift's Midnights album Flannel season Pumpkin spice lattes Halloween candy sales School bake sales Nature walks Short Uggs

Tom Shimoni class of '23

Janani Ganesh & Wasan Rafat class of '23

Phoebe Anthony class of '24

My favorite Halloween candy is

Our favorite candy is Jolly Ranch-

My favorite Halloween candies

Twix bars because they are the best

ers because the candy lasts in your

are the Dove swirly milk and dark

type of crunchy caramel chocolate.

mouth for a really long time. There is

chocolate squares. It is the per-

Every Halloween, I always pray to

also a variety of colors, and it is the

fect combination and diversity of

get the Twix bar.

perfect burst of bubblicious flavor.

chocolates!

Christian Girl Autumn

Not Your Grandfather's Movies

Crispy apples

By Jacob Lewis

9

DOWNGRADE

Every classroom is a different climate College applications Classrooms without tissues Tests every week Every South guy wearing Timberlands Long lunch lines Allergy season Non-chronological Instagram feed

The generational gap between kids and their grandparents can be a difficult obstacle to creating close relationships — it’s been a while since our grandparents were young, and what was popular then has long since fallen out of style.

Films are one point of connection that can transcend generational boundaries and allow you to spend quality time with your grandparents.

However, many of our grandparents’ favorite films are old and dated, and many of us like new films that our grandparents may not.

A movie that both the youth and the elderly can enjoy is a special find.

Here are four timeless gems that will appeal to any age group, young or old. They are entertaining to watch and fascinating to discuss when you finish.

So go grab the popcorn and turn on one of these movies for a time that you and your grandparents will both cherish as a fantastic bonding experience.

Rear Window Many grandparents might have already seen this classic from 1954, albeit way back in the olden days.

Legendary filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock, who also directed classics like “Vertigo,” “Psycho” and “The Birds,” directs this tale of a man named L.B.“Jeff ” Jeffries, a photographer who breaks his leg and is confined to his apartment. While Jeff observes the daily lives of his neighbors, he notices something peculiar about the apartment across from his.

The film is immaculately crafted, and although the pacing is slower than most modern films, its exciting and tense nature never wanes. Despite being made for people our grandparents’ age, it has as much excitement as any modern action movie. It might as well have come out last year.

Apollo 13 For those with grandparents who enjoy historical dramas, “Apollo 13” is a thrilling option.

Based on a true story, the film follows the three astronauts who embark on a lunar mission aboard the spaceship Apollo 13. When an oxygen tank explodes on the ship, the moon landing is called off and the astronauts attempt to return home alive and safe.

Although the story by itself is well known, the movie still manages to be intense and gripping, never growing boring or repetitive over the course of its lengthy runtime.

Being both a movie about history and space, it will appeal to many different audiences. Add the fact that it stars Tom Hanks as astronaut Jim Lovell, and there’s something for everyone here.

and “Knives Out” is especially notable for its clever comedy and subtle social commentary.

The story is expertly written, and the complex plot unfolds in an accessible, easy-tounderstand manner; you feel as though you are solving the mystery as it progresses. Even if you have already seen“Knives Out,” watching it could be a fantastic way to spend time with your grandparents, as they are eager to connect with their grandchildren over anything the kids are interested in.

There’s no doubt that “Knives Out” will continue to be a popular choice for years to come; maybe someday, you will even watch it with your own grandchildren.

The End

Waking Ned Devine “Waking Ned Devine” is lesser known, but nonetheless a fantastic and absolutely endearing film.

Ned Devine, an elderly resident of a small Irish village, wins the lottery and dies hours later. Trouble ensues when the rest of the town covers up Ned’s death in order to collect and split the lottery prize money.

The film works wonderfully as a comedy tame enough to watch with your family, and it manages to be a feel-good movie without feeling too corny. It goes down easy and is a satisfying watch, no matter how old you are.

Knives Out The most recent film on our list,“Knives Out” has been a favorite among our generation since its 2019 release. Your grandparents will love the thrilling, unorthodox mystery. Mysteries can always transcend the generational gap,

photos courtesy of Amazon

page 10 | opinions

the lion's roar

Stories of feeling "never enough"

by Ava Ransbotham

by Hana Futai

by Noa Racin

Sometime during the first week of freshman year, my math teacher asks a question, and the answer comes to me before anyone raises their hand. But mine stays by my side, fidgeting with my hairband. I don’t want the girls sitting next to me to know I’m good at math.

A new school gives me the chance to edit the narrative; last year people liked me, but sometimes it felt like being good in school made me a little unapproachable. I don’t want to be isolated, so I’ve always struggled to find a balance between gaining the respect of my teachers and the approval of my classmates.

My mixed-level math class doesn’t make the battle of balance easy. I sit with girls I want to be friends with and pretend not to remember the rules of function composition, instead of doing the honors problems. I like talking to them, but I’m hiding part of myself to fit in, and there’s this worry that one of them will find out.

Every day I take an hour finishing the honors problems I spent all of class not doing, which gives me the sense that I shouldn’t have a spot in the honors class at all. I’ve managed to feel like a fraud with my peers, as well as in my studies.

Having the name “impostor syndrome” for my feelings validates them, enabling me to let go of the self doubt I’d been feeling. The next day, I raise my hand to answer a question.

My teacher smiles, and the social ostracization I was picturing never comes; the girl next to me whispers, “Slay, Ava!” And honestly, I feel pretty slay. All it took was confidence, and the words: “impostor syndrome.”

On YouTube, we routinely see teenagers getting into Ivy League schools. We see students around us scoring perfectly on the SAT and the ACT while simultaneously having pages worth of extracurriculars.

The influence of social media has given us more opportunity to compare ourselves. I'm only a freshman, yet when I see others excelling, I feel as though I am not doing enough. Many of my classmates are running for class office or Senate, joining clubs and doing volunteer work.

I start to believe that even though it is four years away, this is the standard that colleges want to see and that my accomplishments are not valid. When we experience these spirals, finding hobbies we love can help give our minds a break. For me, that love is gymnastics. The demanding sport has brought me blood, sweat and tears, but has helped me grow as a person.

I have had times where I struggled with believing that I was good enough, but the past nine years of doing gymnastics has taught me to refrain from comparing myself to others and to focus on my progress. I’ve learned to be proud of my accomplishments regardless of how good my teammates are.

Imposter syndrome isn’t a mindset that we can eliminate from our heads. But finding a passion can get your mind off certain triggers.

As we continue to grow and learn throughout our lives, it is important to find the right people who will never let you forget your self worth, and validate your emotions. But most of all, we cannot forget to be kind to ourselves because at the end of the day, it starts with us.

The art room smelled like it always did — of acrylic paint and sawdust. Taut brown papers stretched crisply over the graffitied tables, dotted with sprawling signatures and rudimentary doodles. I took a nervous exhale.

Every summer, I gazed in awe at the “shlatim” hanging around camp — wooden murals each team makes for “Macabia” — our camp color war. I had longed to impress my legacy on the ageless boards.

This year, I finally had my chance. When my team sat down to plan, however, I suddenly grew nervous . My rudimentary and self-taught artistic style would be out of place in the realistic mural we planned. The overwhelming feeling of inadequacy was easy to self-diagnose. I feared disappointing my fellow artists, all of whom, I felt, were vastly more capable.

I elected to paint a fox in the corner of the mural, spending hours learning how to paint, but when I beheld the final result, it looked terrible. I was more ashamed the next day, when, much to my chagrin, I found the fox painted over by another. This seemed to me a confirmation of my inadequacy.

Yet on closer inspection, I noticed the original integrity of my painting was preserved; the shape of my fox remained under new paint.

The new artist simply added her own touch to my work — emphasizing shadows, darkening the color of the fur. Seeing my work blend seamlessly with another’s empowered me.

Overcoming impostor syndrome is not only a work of inner confidence; it requires the ability to unabashedly embrace imperfections .

im-pos-ter syn-drome noun

defined by the belief that one does not belong in an environment or that one is not good enough often in spite of external validation; a phenomenon where one could experience it one day and not the next, in one situation but not the other

graphic by Julie Wang

Fulmer & Walker: The liars on fire

By Risha Sinha To those who have been living under a rock (or have just forgotten), Ned Fulmer, a founding member of the YouTube comedy group “The Try Guys,” was recently fired from the company for engaging in a yearlong “consensual workplace relationship” with a subordinate. The three other Try Guys — Tri-Guys, if you will — immediately removed him from their team.

When the news broke, it went viral faster than COVID-19 at a Trump rally.

Fulmer, a vanilla-scented trash bag, gained money and fame from his carefully curated public personality, which ironically featured his wife so much that she almost became a prop in his videos.

They worked together on several proj-

ects, including a parenting advice podcast, an HGTV-style video series where she redesigned rooms in their friends’ homes, and even a relationship-based cookbook.

My personal favorite of the disgustingly romantic recipes is the“kiss and make up cake,” a chocolate treat dusted with powdered sugar and decorated with the words “I’m sorry” in gorgeous white icing. I doubt that cake is doing much damage control now.

To be clear, Ned Fulmer is not evil for his morally wrong actions. He is simply one example of a larger problem in society: public figures, especially men, make careers by lying about who they are. They claim to stand for one thing, but eventually, they are proved to be disingenuous. Worse, they profit from their deception.

Scandal garners interest, and as proven by The Try Guys’ sudden uptick in fame and subscribers, interest is lucrative. Online clout is essential for societal relevance in our world of social media.

Just like influencers, political candidates must become media personalities. Some candidates rely solely on their eccentric personalities to get them into office. These candidates are vapid and depthless people whose hunger for power allows them to stomach the awful, nasty and just plain incorrect rhetoric they spew. Herschel Walker is one such g hen ily C m candidate.

E y hic b grap The former NFL running back is run-

ning in Georgia’s election for U.S. Senate.

Listening to him explain his positions on policy is possibly the strongest argument one could make for further regulations to prevent concussions in football. Walker believes in a total abortion ban — that all abortions should be illegal even in cases of incest, rape, ectopic pregnancies and when the mother’s life is in danger.

The real kicker here is the Daily Beast report that Herschel Walker paid for his girlfriend’s abortion in 2009. More recently, yet another woman has come forward, saying Walker paid for her abortion as well. Apparently, Herschel Walker believes that life begins at conception, so abortion is murder … unless it benefits him.

What’s more, Walker had the audacity to deny the story although all evidence points to the contrary. His blatant lies were called out by his son, Christian Walker, in a video posted to Twitter.

Christian does not stop there. He implies that his father has cheated on the multiple women he has children with and accuses Walker of being an absentee father.

But Herschel lauds himself as a Christian and father: Walker’s official campaign website promises that if elected, he will “stand for conservative family values” in the Senate. It seems Herschel has struggled to understand the Seventh Commandment in Christianity: “Thou shalt not commit adultery.”

It’s no surprise that politicians are the worst hypocrites of all. Flip-flopping is a cornerstone of politics, especially now as we

increasingly value politicians’ celebrity and fear-mongering ability over their fact-based policy positions.

Social media algorithms and online fundraising trap voters into cycles of confirmation bias and the people that catch our attention (and thereby our wallets) are the big personalities. In this way, the political shockjocks prevail over qualified, secure candidates.

After Ned Fulmer was revealed to be a two-faced liar, nearly his entire fanbase deserted him. His actions burned his career to the ground. After his abortion scandal, Herschel Walker’s candidacy lit up: he raised $500,000 in campaign funds.

This dichotomy is interesting and dangerous. When an entertainer is deceitful, his fans, his source of money and power, drop him like a hot potato. When a politician-hopeful is revealed to have directly contradicted his words with his actions, his MAGA base rallies around him.

Why is that? One of the most obvious differences between Fulmer and Walker is their fan bases. Fulmer’s fans are young and liberal. Walker’s fans are the opposite. Walker’s hypocrisy further confirms that the MAGA crowd does not truly stand by “conservative family values” or their ridiculous idea that abortion is murder. If they did, they would have dropped Walker like a hot potato.

Fulmer and Walker are an emblem of our new Trumpian era in which our politicians and entertainers switch roles. Entertainers are now required to be honest, and politicians are expected to be entertaining.

opinions | page 11

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South Celebrates Three students share stories from their favorite holidays

R

eligion has been deeply ingrained in my ancestry for centuries. It is something that my grandfather takes deep pride in. It is something that bores me to death. My family is Jewish, but mostly just due to tradition.

We still celebrate the main Jewish holidays like Rosh ha Shana and Yom Kippur.

A typical religious holiday for me kicks off the night before the actual holiday with a family gathering involving a spread of traditional Jewish food. Later that night, I go to a synagogue for prayer, which for me means staring at the ceiling and zoning out for

Durga Puja Ahona Dam

photo contributed by Ahona Dam

E

very year on the Fourth of July, my social media fills with pictures of my friends at cookouts and pool parties. On the way to my Nana’s house, I tap through endless Instagram stories of fireworks. When we arrive in Taunton, my family and I prepare for our celebrations for the next day — fifth of July: Cape Verdean Independence Day. My entire dad’s side of the family gets there as early as 8 a.m., and the house quickly floods with bags of food and decorations. My aunts and uncles spend the day in the kitchen, cooking our traditional Independence Day meals of cachupa (bean, vegetable, and meat stew), pastels (tuna in a deep fried shell), canja (thick rice and chicken soup) and tons of sweets.

Meanwhile, my siblings, cousins and I turn the house and the patio into a vibrant scene of yellow, blue and red: decorations to emulate the colors of the Cape Verdean flag. When we return to my Nana’s house the next day, the house looks even brighter than before. Lively music flows through every room, the prepared food fills the house with a delicious aroma and the joyful energy is contagious.

It's safe to say that Independence Day

the next two hours.

Typically, my family will go to synagogue the following morning to pray, but after enough complaining, my family decides that I'm not worth the fight, and I often find a way to weasel myself out of that one.

In fact, for me, the next day is typically spent like a normal day off, unless I have something religious I must do, like fasting. On days when I have to fast, I envy how my friends look forward to celebrating their day off, while I have to celebrate differently.

Despite the relentless boredom, I feel that days off from school to celebrate religious holidays are absolutely necessary for me, especially on fast days because I have no energy, I'm cranky, and it’s impossible to focus at school. And besides, who wouldn't want an extra day to rest?

D

urga Puja, a Hindu festival celebrated according to the lunar calendar, falls around the end of September or the beginning of October. The celebration of the victory of good over evil, it marks the yearly arrival of the goddess Durga, who defeated the evil Mahishasura.

The 10-day festival begins with my family and I listening to the “Mahalaya,” a rhythmic retelling of the story of Durga and her magnificent power and strength. For me, Durga Puja lies in this rhythm and movement; the flickering flames of the “diyas” blend with the songs and hymns to create a vibrant celebration of a divine energy.

Kolkata’s Durga Puja in India is marked by the fragrant“shiuli” flowers, the busy rush of buying new clothes and the elaborate pandals, temporary structures built months in advance, which house the goddess Durga.

There’s an internal clock ticking inside everyone as they hurry to check everything off the list — clean the house to welcome Goddess Durga, buy gifts for all relatives, tailor clothes in advance, plan out each day’s outfit. I’ve never visited Kolkata during this magical festival but have heard many stories from my parents and relatives is my favorite day of the year. I get to see my entire family, which doesn't happen often. My aunts, uncles and cousins travel from all over New England to meet at my Nana’s, and after hours of feasting and dancing, we head to Boston for even more eating and partying.

The Cape Verdean Association of Boston hosts an Independence Day festival at the Boston City Hall Plaza, and hundreds of people gather to celebrate Cape Verdean culture. Bands play traditional music, long lines form around every food truck, families rejoice and dance together and the entire crowd surges with energy, becoming one whole family.

I am so grateful to be a part of a close-knit and prideful community.

Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur Elad Levy

photo contributed by Elad Levy

who have visited pandals since they were young.

In America, my Durga Puja commences each year on a chilly Saturday morning at Littleton High School. In a medium-sized gym, little kids chase each other around in circles, aunties praise each other’s saris, and I nervously prepare my poetry recitation before I get on stage.

Bengali Americans, ABCDs (AmericanBorn Confused Desis), NRIs (Non-Residential Indians) — whatever the term may be, we all love to celebrate culture with carefully curated programs of song, dance and plays.

Every year, I choose a poetry piece and spend time mastering the curves and flares of the Bengali vowels and consonants before finally performing it behind the bright stage lights.

Goddess Durga is powerful and exuberates a strength that is so unbounded. She is a mother, a sister, a protector to all individuals.

Ever since I was young, I’ve always heard that she is within everyone. As a young girl, this message empowered my thinking of self-love and confidence. Not only is Durga a savior, but she symbolizes a greater feminine divinity that is within all individuals.

Cape Verdean Independence Day Grace Sousa

photo contributed by Grace Sousa

Each issue, The Roar releases a column on the college application process written anonymously by a current senior “Classics and economics? What’s the connection between those?” my interviewer from Smith College asked me through the Zoom screen, half-joking and half interested.

I nervously chuckled before answering the question that everyone seemed to be asking me.

Since the beginning of freshman year, I’ve had a very clear idea of my interests. I have loved studying Latin ever since signing up for the class on a whim in seventh grade.

On a different note, business has intrigued me since I was a child. I’m worried, however, about having few extracurriculars that demonstrate my interest in business. I hope that the economics courses I’ve taken show that I’m serious about the field.

I enjoy both the humanities and technical fields, so I’ve been looking into schools that value interdisciplinary learning. However, my two polar interests dramatically restrict the length of my college list.

My love of classics hinders me from applying to any undergraduate business schools, which tend to have more rigorous and prestigious business programs than those offered in a school’s College of Arts and Sciences. In addition, classics is a rather niche study, offered by just a few schools. In fact, just weeks ago I had to remove a school from my list since it no longer provided the major.

Distance also limits the schools on my list. The farthest school I am applying to is six hours away, since I want to be able to drive home a few times every month.

Because there are few schools that match my criteria, I’m worried my list lacks a sufficient number of schools. I may have to increase my distance limit, but I want to feel assured that I will be accepted into at least one school.

I’m applying early decision (ED) to Cornell University. I love that it’s a huge school with plenty of resources for me to research and further my interests. I’m applying regular decision to Brown University, which has the most prestigious classics department in the world and a stellar economics major.

UMass Amherst and Rutgers University are also great options since they are public schools that tend to have more opportunities, especially for niche majors.

Like a lot of us applying early, I just hope that I’m accepted into my ED school to put this process behind me.

Struggling to make sure that my transcripts and letters of recommendation have been sent in has made completing college applications laborious and nerveracking. The personal and supplemental essays' deadlines that approached quickly heightened my stress levels.

For now, I’m using the supplemental essays as an opportunity to explain why I want to study both classics and economics. It has been hard to fit my reasons for a double major into a one hundred word essay for UMass Amherst, but I still find the writing enjoyable. Not every college will have the chance to ask me about my interests like the interviewer from Smith did.

I’ve leaned into these essays (and their somewhat limited word counts), to describe who I am and my passions. Hopefully, I will one day be able to set foot on campus and tell my story in person.

Getting the The decline of Newton’s local press hurts the core of its government and community

W

hen the Newton Tab announced the end of its print circulation on March 16, a city of 87,000 found itself without a full-time local newspaper for the first time in over a century and a half.

Years of financial failure culminated in the Tab’s incorporation into corporate news website Wicked Local, drastically limiting its coverage and combining it with that of dozens of other municipalities. While limited reporting from the Boston Globe has persisted, the loss of local journalism within the Garden City has led to an erosion of trust in Newton’s politics, community and government.

The Death of the Tab The death of Newton’s newspapers came not with a bang, but with a slow decline.

Newton’s legacy of local journalism has shrunk steadily since its peak nearly half a century ago. .

According to records from the Newton Free Library, the first local newspaper in Newton was the Newton Journal, founded in 1866.

Quickly followed by the Newton Republican in 1873 and the Newton Graphic in 1882, the Journal kicked off the golden era of journalism in Newton.

Until the Graphic shut down in 1997, Newton went over a century with at least two local newspapers covering the city simultaneously. The Tab, founded in 1979, utilized became its free delivery and print services to steadily monopolize competition and become the last paper standing.

In 1996, the Tab merged into Community Newspaper Company, owned by publishing giant GateHouse Media Inc. By the mid-2000s, it was recognized among the largest and most profitable of GateHouse’s newspapers in the region. Greg Reibman, current president of the Charles River Regional Chamber and former Vice President of Content and Partnerships for GateHouse’s Massachusetts publications, said that he sees the decline as a long-term fall from grace from the paper’s peak around the

turn of the 21st century.

“The Newton Tab had five reporters, fulltime, to cover news,” Reibman, who also served as editor-in-chief and then publisher of the Tab, said. “There was an editor, there was someone dedicated just to come into schools, there was someone dedicated just to cover City Hall, there was somebody writing feature stories.”

The Tab’s robust reporting at the time extended well into Newton’s political scene.

Prominent politicians like former Mayor Setti Warren, who served from 2010 to 2018, forged a longstanding relationship with its reporters that often brought the inner workings of City Hall to the front steps of readers’ homes.

Aaron Goldman, current Associate Director of Communication and Engagement at Harvard University, worked in several capacities within the Warren administration. He said the strength of the Tab’s reporting was felt deep within city government throughout the eight years he worked within it. “[The Tab] was everywhere,” he said.

“They came into the office and interviewed the Mayor on the record once a week, every week. They covered press conferences, they held interviews, they had sources. It was a real, serious operation.”

As time went on, Goldman said, the Tab’s quality declined substantially a phenomenon that many community stakeholders, like Ward 6 City Councilor Brenda Noel, attribute to long-term cuts in reporting driven by corporate decision-making.

“The Tab didn’t die overnight,” Noel said.

“Gatehouse Media, [the Newton Tab’s former corporate parent], had pulled money from the Tab for years ... it was losing its effectiveness long before it shut down because of the pullback of reporters and the pullback of financing.”

Ward 6 At-Large City Councilor Alicia Bowman, who worked at Fidelity Investments throughout its mass buy-up of local newspapers in the 1990s, said that the same corporate cuts and consolidation principles seen nationwide drove the Tab out of business.

“It was a push to make [the Tab] profit-

able, and have them fit into a sort of standard return model,” Bowman said.

The decline of local press outlets like the Tab is far from unique to Newton. Research from The Washington Post found that more than 2,200 local print newspapers shuttered operations between 2005 and 2021, meaning that approximately one local paper shut down every three days. Yet, as much as this trend extended to Newton, so too did its consequences.

The Bigger Picture As the final edition of the local paper landed on front lawns last May, Newton entered an era with little precedent; where the city’s local press once shined a light on the inner workings of government and politics, the current lack of reporting has resulted in a decline in public confidence in elected officials, government workings and policy decisions.

A 2019 report by the Strauss Institute at the University of Texas at Austin found that closures of community newspapers directly correlated with lower local election turnout and competition. Adverse consequences like the expansion of governmental mismanagement and incumbency advantages within political races were found to increase as a result. In Newton, similar impacts are felt deep within the community.

Former Ward 2 City Councilor-atLarge Amy Mah Sangiolo said that the city government felt increasingly unaccountable and opaque throughout her tenure, which spanned from 1998 to 2017. Many of her and her colleagues’ voting records, Sangiolo said, remained uncovered by local media, leading to less public knowledge about elected officials’ standpoints, and, ultimately, a lessened sense of accountability.

Lisa Gordon, Executive Director of the Acton Food Pantry and longtime community activist in Newton, said that the pandemic exacerbated many issues of accountability.

“Because of the pandemic, many [public]

meetings were held online,” she said. “Rather than being held as a community forum where people can see who's involved or who's attending, which is a natural outcome when people come together to go to public meetings, they put it on webinar view, so nobody knows who else is there. Nobody can interact with each other or have any kind of side conversations.

It's all orchestrated. ” Such circumstances, Gordon said, have led to less public input in government processes.

However, Ward 1 Councilor-At-Large John Oliver said that the City Council still has a degree of accountability. Even without a local press, he said, councilors still work to hold each other accountable.

“The people who are going to hold me accountable, most directly and most frequently, are my other city councilors, whether they vote with me or against me or agree with what I think or don't,” he said.

Still, Oliver said that he notices a lack of public attention towards the City Council.

“I feel like there are fewer people aware of what I’m doing,” he said.

Beyond political accountability and transparency, the ramifications of local journalism’s erosion within Newton extend to the core of city politics. As the city’s press whittles down, Gordon said that complex discussions and debates have become increasingly uninformed and polar. She said that recent discussions surrounding Newton’s zoning policies provide an example of such a phenomenon.

“Rather than all of our councilors coming together to work out really great solutions for how we should move forward in Newton, it has cut down to being extremely divisive,” she said. “If there were local press, we could get a greater diversity of opinion out there instead of really loud voices.”

Similarly, Ward 2 Councilor Emily Norton said that zoning is one such complex issue that remains unexplained in the absence of an independent journalistic establishment to cover it. “[Village zoning] is really complicated.

e Full Story

By Bella Ishanyan and Matan Josephy Graphic by Adrienne Lirio It’d be so great if a newspaper was reporting, ‘This is what’s under consideration, and this is why.’ Then everybody could be starting from the same set of facts. But that’s not happening,” she said.

NewtonSTEM chair Bruce Henderson said that such a reduction in information can lead to a more toxic political environment.

“With a lack of intelligent news coverage, you lose nuance,” he said. “And when you lose nuance, people tend to get on one side of the river or the other and yell at each other. It splits people apart.”

The end result, Goldman said, is that the public becomes less aware of what happens within their community.

“It’s incredibly important that every single person has access to information about what’s going on in the city ... It doesn’t matter if your family has lived here for four generations or if you’ve been here for three weeks,” he said.

“If you live in the city, you deserve to know what is going on in the city.”

An Attempted Rewrite With the collapse of dedicated journalism in Newton, private citizens, new nonprofits and elected officials have rushed to fill the information vacuum.

As independent outlets like the Tab became less accessible to the public, the burden of local government reporting shifted to politicians themselves. By The Roar’s count, nearly a dozen city councilors offer their own regular newsletters. Combined with Mayor Ruthanne Fuller’s own email list and the City Council’s official updates, Newton’s politicians have an established method of information dispersal one that has taken on even more significance amidst the collapse of outside coverage.

The differences between government sources and a proper citywide press remain apparent, and politicians who run such sources, like Norton, are aware of them. Norton said that, while she strives to keep her constituents informed, her coverage is limited to her own

perspectives.

“I put out a newsletter once a month.

It’s my slant,” she said. “I’m not an independent reporter, and I don’t pretend to be.”

In response, Sangiolo and Henderson founded Fig City News, an online, volunteerrun news resource. With its origins in her subscriber-based newsletter, Sangiolo said that Fig City News was born out of a public desire for comprehensive, unbiased news.

“I just wanted to make sure that people were informed about how they could participate and become more civically engaged,” she said.

While Fig City began with a focus on government meetings and reports that would have otherwise gone unnoticed by the general public, Henderson and Sangiolo eventually expanded its operations into coverage of Newton Public Schools, letters to the editor and community notices like obituaries.

Sangiolo said that a large part of Fig City’s mission is to make otherwise obscure or inaccessible information on Newton’s government easily available to the public. While public records and reports are available on the City of Newton’s website, Sangiolo said they are not well organized.

“It’s really important to have a news source that points people in the right direction and gathers [public information] all in one place,” she said.

Beyond Fig City News, community members are attempting to form a dedicated local press within Newton called The Newton Beacon, an online news source still in its pre-launch phase.

Th e B e a c o n’s founders plan for it to be published by the Newton News Foundation, Inc., a recently-established nonprofit organization. In contrast to Fig City’s volunteer-

based structure, the Beacon aims to be a fully-staffed and funded source of news, with a predicted launch date in the spring of 2023.

Reibman, who has worked with The Newton Beacon’s board of directors in an advisory capacity, said that the Beacon’s professional structure is a core part of its mission and brand.

“The plan for the Beacon is to raise enough money to hire professional journalists to cover the city and to be sustainable long term,” he said. “We want this publication not to just be around to cover what happens in the news next year or the year after, but for generations to come.”

On Aug. 21, 2022, The Beacon’s board of directors announced that the organization had submitted an application to the City of Newton for $100,000 in start-up funding from Newton’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.

The newspaper currently relies primarily on tax-deductible donations to fund its operations.

Goldman, a member of The Beacon’s board of directors, emphasized the role of professional journalism in reversing the industry’s decline.

“To really reverse the trends that we’ve seen in the decline of journalism,

it’s important to have a fully-staffed, paid, professional, nonpartisan news outlet in the city,” he said.

As independent news in Newton faces its steepest decline in decades, its future remains to be shaped. The rise of new outlets like The Newton Beacon or Fig City News provides a potential solution to a yearslong issue that may lead to a more informed and engaged population.

Sangiolo said that what matters is simply getting more people to engage with their community and government.

“My whole point is to get as many people as civically engaged as possible. That’s what I want,” she said. “Shape your own future.”

page 14 | jump

the lion's roar

Newton Newspapers Over the Years Newton Republican

Newton Journal Newton Circuit The Town Crier Newton Times Newton Free Press Newton Household Newton Progress The Community Courant

Newton Villager Newton Commentator Newton Times Newton Tab VIP Free Weekly Newspaper This Week in Newton

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2022

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Improve your technique Conduct interviews, Draw, paint or use digital by shooting sports games, report on compelling techniques to create piecschool events and staged topics or write about your es that accompany printed illustrations. own opinions. articles.

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page 15 November 4, 2022

FEATURES Flipping the Page issuu.com/thelionsroar

Volume 39, Issue 4

Completely volunteer-run, the Auburndale Community Library and Waban Library Center bring the joy of reading for the community

By Ariana Bhargava, Sanjana Deshpande and Charlotte Ottmer

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warm smile and the newest display of exciting novels greets every visitor that enters the fully volunteer-run Waban or Auburndale libraries. While the Newton Free Library is funded by the city and marketed to all Newton residents, the Waban and Auburndale libraries are separate branches that are completely volunteer-run and more community focused.

When the Auburndale branch of the Newton Free Library closed in 2008, the community mobilized to keep the library from shutting down, librarian Janet Linder said.

“When it was closing, a lot of us in the community were very upset,” she said. “But we banded together and we were able to figure out a way to keep the library alive as a community library, volunteer run and nonprofit.”

Since 2009, community members have fundraised and persuaded city officials to support these fully volunteer-run, nonprofit libraries. Both libraries have now been open for over 13 years.

Alice Jacobs, the volunteer director at the Waban Library Center, said that she has been a part of this tight-knit community since its creation.

“We have been able to keep this organization going for 13 years — all volunteers, all donations,” she said.“And it can be done. It takes a lot of effort and energy, but the outcome is very worthwhile. You can meet people in your neighborhood that you never thought you'd meet, and you can feel good about giving part of your energy to the larger community.”

When the pandemic hit, the library actually expanded its services past just lending books. Co-President of the Auburndale Community Library (ACL) Ellen Chu said

that despite the challenges of the pandemic, the library continued to keep its resources available to everyone.

“We try to always be of service to the community,” she said. “During COVID, we were a site for vaccines for a local community housing area, so the residents of that community housing came to the library because it's within walking distance and they didn't have to drive.”

Jacobs said that she is passionate about the impact of the library and its resources on young children.

“I just love reading,” she said. “Books are very meaningful, even from an early age. The experience of reading and being read to is vital.”

Linder said that her favorite part of the job is helping others develop a love of reading.

“I really enjoy helping people find books that will make them happy when they take them home, and I really like being part of this community that runs the library,” she said.

Lynn Slobodin, the ACL activities coordinator, said that the library is always looking to start new initiatives, especially from high schoolers.

“All different kinds of groups use the building, and we are very open to any suggestions from the high school community of ways they'd like to get involved and [ways] they'd like to use the building,” she said.

The loyalty and hard work of library volunteers has enabled the ACL to stand the test of time, Chu said.

“When we first started, we didn't know that we would be around for 14 years, and now it's 14 years, and we're still going strong,” she said. “We hope to continue to count on the community’s support for years to come.”

photo contributed by Transported

The Auburndale Library's sign displaying their hours and welcoming patrons

“We have been able to keep this organization going for 13 years — all volunteers, all donations,” she said.“And it can be done.

It takes a lot of effort and energy, but the outcome is very worthwhile.

Alice Jacobs Volunteer Director

photo contributed byAuburndale Community Library

The Auburndale Library engages children in activities for Tuesday Story Times

page 16 | features

the lion's roar

Leading the Way Meet your class officers and senators

By Ella Hou, Andrew Lindsay and Feiya Wang Class Office

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fter a successful first year of class office, sophomore and returning class president Michael Shen said that he hopes to keep up the momentum, starting with releasing merchandise for the class of ‘25.

“We are working on creating new merch and a submission form so people can submit designs, and then we'll do a rolling poll,” he said.

Shen said he hopes to continue to make positive changes within South.

“When you're a class officer, you're in the position to make a big impact on the school, which can benefit everyone,” he said.

Shen also said that he is looking forward to forming new relationships.

“I'm excited to meet more people, get to know more people and create new friendships through these class office events,” he said.

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ith his first steps into class office, freshman class president Harvey Chen said that he is excited to plan class events and build community among freshmen.

“I'm hoping to plan an awesome freshman dance and do lots of fundraisers,” he said. Fundraisers will include bake sales and merchandise sales.

Additionally, Chen said he hopes to promote a welcoming environment at South. “[I want to] keep the vibe straight, [focus on] stopping bullying and raise the community spirit,” he said.

Chen said that in addition to building connections with the South community, working as a class officer helps students develop confidence and public speaking skills.

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unior class president Kevin Yang said that this year, his goal is to reduce student stress.

“Junior year is a stressful year. We all have to admit that. My goal this year is to make our new year as stress-less as possible,” he said.

This starts with a welcoming environment at school, Yang said.

“First and foremost my biggest responsibility is representing the grade and making sure everyone has a great time. One thing I try to do as president is say ‘Hi’ to everyone,” he said.

The Junior Semi-Formal is another special part of the year, and Yang said he is looking forward to planning this and other events.

“COVID is kind of waning so everyone's really excited right now. The officers are hosting a bunch of events, and we have so many ideas,” he said.

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enior class president Tom Shimoni said that he is excited to plan events for seniors this year.

“I want to promote school spirit in the school, and I want to plan some sick events. It's cool to make events that unite the class, and it's always a great feeling after, when there's a good turnout,” he said.

As prom will be funded by money that the senior class office has raised and saved since freshman year, Shimoni said that he is looking forward to seeing the results of their efforts.

He said that being transparent and keeping students updated on upcoming events is important to his role.

“We try to be as open as possible [to] make sure they know what we're doing, when the events are and what we're planning,” he said.

Also elected: Owen Butler, Aleeza Amitan, Jory Cohen, Sofia Kekalainen, Chloe Hu, Olivia Hong, Clio Mcaneny, Raina Bornstein, June Kim, Adrienne Rae Liro, Joshua Moshes, Jonney Wei, Andrew Hsu, Dylan Shanahan, Ben Shaar, Noa Dahan, Rohit Paradkar

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reshman senator Victor Lock said that Senate is looking to address a variety of issues within Newton South. “[The problems] are mostly easy to see, like the bathrooms [and] water fountains,” he said. “[We’re also] trying to get more uniform grading throughout departments.”

Senate gives students a voice, Lock said. “[Senate] is made by students for students. I think it’s important to have an orderly way of communicating with [administration] on changes you feel are necessary,” he said.

Locke said he plans on listening to the suggestions of the student body.

“That’s part of being a good leader because you always want to know what’s wrong, how you can fix it and if what you're doing is actually needed,” he said.

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his year, sophomore senator Marty Basaria’s focus is on improving mental health at South.

“We're thinking of ideas such as giving a mandatory five-minute break [during] classes, [which] not every [teacher] in the school follows,” he said.

Basaria said that considering student perspectives is crucial when making decisions.

“I specifically try to talk to people in our grade [and ask],‘What do you think about this?

What do you think could be changed?’” he said.

Basaria said that the Senate deliberates decisions carefully to benefit the community.

“We have to be pretty careful about [creating policies] because usually school policies are there for a long time. It affects 2000 people and how they interact with each other,” he said.

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unior senator Michael Chang said that a large priority for him is implementing the Homework-Free Religious Holiday bill, which was passed last year. “ Teachers [aren’t supposed to] give homework on Diwali Eve and Lunar New Year …. but the school isn't recognizing them at the moment,” he said.

Chang said that he enjoys collaborating with his fellow senators.

“The community there is great. Everyone that's there wants to make change,” he said.

While making these changes, Senate is looking to increase student input, Chang said.

“We're hoping to implement way more frequent surveys and update forms on a monthly basis so that we can hear your opinions on what students would like to implement,” he said.

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South Senate

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enate president and senior Wasan Rafat said that an ongoing project is the establishment of a prayer center in the school.

“It was approved, and we have a room.

It’s all about setting it up now,” she said.

Rafat said she hopes to improve communication between Senate, the faculty council and the school administration.

“This year, I'm hoping for open communication, bouncing ideas off of each other, getting feedback, coming up with new plans, and I think it will go smoothly,” she said.

It’s rewarding to make changes in the school, said Rafat.

“There's power in numbers, and we can analyze voices and give them an actual avenue for change if we have legislative systems like the Senate in place. I think it's powerful,” she said.

Also elected: Isabella Starkman, Andrew Lindsay, Max Stober, Aaron Lirio, Shelley Wei, Thomas Kinney, Sarina Chand, Helen Liu, Navaa Malihi, Adom Rotberg, Ethan Cheng, Matthew Zeng, Max Harthorne, Reese Pinto, Lily Paltrowitz, Daniel Marshak, Carina Bagdasarian, Aris Li, Abi Handel

issuu.com/thelionsroar

features | page 17

1 in 2000: Udaii Abu Amara, "a curious mind" Alyssa Chen & Keira Quinlan-Nardella Features Reporters Whether it be a new physics theorem or a fun fact about a classmate, the act of discovery has always fascinated sophomore Udaii Abu Amara. Although freshman physics officially sparked his interest in science, his way of questioning the world started far earlier, he said.

“When I was young and we had no one to babysit me, my mom, who’s a biologist, would take me with her to her lab, and there would always be these big tubs of dry ice. I’d sit there and play with dry ice, and it always fascinated me,” he said. “I’d ask questions about it to my mom, and that's when I realized that science is really, really cool.”

Sophomore Yasmine Burris-Khan, a longtime friend of Abu Amara, said that he brings his passion for physics wherever he goes.

“Freshman year, a lot of the classes were hard, but he still loved physics,” she said.“I had lunch with him right after his physics class, and every single time he was so excited.”

Drurey said that Abu Amara’s curiosity and enthusiasm rubbed off on the people

photo contributed by Udaii Abu Amara

around him.

“As the year progressed, he became more and more curious about some of the things that we talked about in class. He would ask deeper questions than the information that I was presenting,” he said. “He is a very positive

influence. He’s optimistic, he's energetic and his enthusiasm is infectious. He gets along with everybody and makes everybody feel comfortable.”

Sophomore Shayla Bellucci said that Abu Amara’s outgoing personality has rubbed off on her.

“Ever since I became friends with him, I have stepped out of my shell a little more because he's a very outgoing guy,” she said. “If I have Udaii next to me, then I can do it.”

Meeting new people and putting himself out there is important to him, Abu Amara said.

“Especially if it’s someone who is new to the school or recently moved here, letting them know that they have someone there with them is very important because I want them to have a good high school experience,” he said.

“Meeting new people, in general, is always fun because you don't know anything about them.”

Although there’s a ten-year age difference between Abu Amara and his older sister Hanin Abu Amara, she said that they have always had a close relationship, and she admires his confidence.

“All my friends love him. He's always

had a mature brain, but I think he's letting his more creative side shine through every single day,” she said.“I'm sure you notice [that he has] no problem speaking his mind and telling you his opinion, and it's great to see him grow into his own voice in that way.”

Sophomore Max Kret said that the attention Abu Amara pays to his friends’ lives is endearing.

“If you get too close to him, he'll start walking into your house like he lives there, and he’ll talk to your parents like they're his parents. It's very sweet, and I actually love it a lot,” they said. “He also keeps track of stories in our lives. If something happens one day, he'll follow up on it the next day. I don't even remember what happened yesterday myself, so how [can he] know?”

Burris-Khan has known Abu Amara for over ten years, and she said she has always seen him as a supportive friend and shoulder to lean on.

“He is my best friend and has been for a good decade now,” she said. “You can always confide in him. No matter what, if you're in a bad mood or something, you always have him.”

Bakeries sweeten the neighborhood New bakeries bring unique desserts to villages around Newton

By Ethan Peller, Theodore Younkin & Emma Zhang

Bettina's Bakery

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ettina Scemama and Naun Rivera first met at Haley House Bakery in Roxbury, and in 2021, they opened Bettina’s Bakery together as business partners. Both are trained pastry chefs.

Although Scemama had the idea for a while, she said the COVID-19 pandemic made them realize that it was the perfect time to start a business of their own, especially one that brought people together in a cozy environment.

“During the pandemic, we both decided it was just now or never to open a business. It seemed crazy, but it was the right time,” she said.

“We have a very high-end product, but it's also in a very accessible, casual and warm setting.”

The bakery’s menu offers a variety of foods, ranging from sandwiches to Thanksgiving pies. Scemama said that the diverse flavors reflect her and Rivera’s different cultural backgrounds and experiences.

“Originally, I'm from Germany, [and Rivera] from Honduras. We both wanted to do some foods from our cultural backgrounds,” she said. “I grew up in England and South America, so I've been exposed to the foods of all different cultures, and I've always really been into food. Growing up with my mother, it's a big German traditional thing to bake stuff at home. Everything came together and then the minute I started culinary school.”

Since Upper Falls has an age-diverse community, Scemama said that she enjoys interacting with customers from all walks of life.

“I have little kid customers. I have young singles. I have couples who have just had their first baby, and older people that have lived there for a long time,” said Scemama. “A lot of places are more anonymous. It is a very personal place, and I don't think there's a lot of places left where middle schoolers get off the bus and grab their chocolate chip cookie, and we know them.”

Lakon Paris

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ince their founding in 2020, co-owners Kope Kharuharat and Jenny Kiangkaew have worked closely together, combining their unique skill sets to run Newton Highlands’ Lakon Paris Patisserie. Kharuharat serves as the manager, and Kiangkaew brings her talents as an accomplished pastry chef.

“We work together, and you need a great team to be able to put out what we're doing. Especially since it’s a place where we bake handcrafted and top-quality products,” Kharuharat said. “There are high expectations, and that's [Kiangkaew’s] person-

ality reflecting on how she produces all these outstanding baked goods.”

Kharuharat said they founded the store through their shared love of food.

“Food has always been something that she loves and is passionate about, and she's very particular about, like a perfectionist,” he said.

Croissants, Lakon Paris’s specialty pastry, take skill to make. Kharuharat said that Kiangkaew has years of experience mastering the art, first at Cordon Bleu culinary school and then her bakery in Thailand.

“Making handcrafted croissants takes skill, and it is a three-day process. We use highquality ingredients and the ability to be able to sense the croissant,” he said. “Temperature, timing and everything else is important. You have to sense it, and you can't go by the book.”

SALT Patisserie

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efore Erin Bashllari took over Donut Villa five years ago, the diner only served donuts and breakfast sandwiches. The Malden-based restaurant has since expanded, and opened a third location in Newtonville just this year. With an ever-expanding menu, Bashllari said he is excited about the growth of the business.

“I've always been in the restaurant business even through college and always loved going to a good diner and having good brunch food,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to make a full-service brunch.”

Rather than letting leftover donuts go to waste, Bashllari said that he makes an effort to help those in need.

“Whatever doughnuts we have at the end of the day are being donated,” he said ng “Currently we are working with Brookline Wa ulie

by J c i Co-Op Food Bank to donate all of our leftover ph gra doughnuts.” and Bashllari said he is grateful to have his it has been family running the business alongside him so the perfect place for that he always has a support system.

Greene to learn new things “One thing about having family is they’ll and gain new experiences, she said. always be there,” he said.“No matter how tough “At the time, I was kind of in a transition the day gets, or how hard it gets sometimes, phase, just looking to move on from my last job especially in the restaurant industry, they'll and find something new,” she said.“I wanted to always have each other's back and just have a have more of a mentor to work with. When I solid team and work well together. You know came across the opportunity, I couldn't pass it that at the end of the day, you're always going up after hearing about chef Thiago Silva and to be there for each other.” his accomplishments.”

Bashllari said that although they’ve kept Greene said that SALT has big plans the same doughnut recipe since 1970, they for the future. are always experimenting with new creative “We have limited staff, so we can only do variations. so much, but we have so much more we want to “It's a 50-year-old recipe, and we've kept do. We want to do savory items and things like that to the tee. We also work with unique flasandwiches, and we look forward to doing some vors like our Nutella cream, key lime pie and events,” she said. “There’s a lot that's coming in strawberries and cream donuts,” he said. “The Newton and we just look forward to getting to only way to find out is to come and taste them.” know this town even better.” lthough beginning the workday at 4 a.m. may seem absurd to some, SALT Patisserie’s sous chef Leanna Greene loves what she does, and she said that the pride she gets from the end products makes it all worthwhile.

“Every single product is made from scratch, whether it's a dough, a batter or even the purées,” she said.“I don't think you can find a lot of specific pastry items like petite gateaus [anywhere else]. We really pride ourselves on having some things that other people wouldn't.”

Decorated celebrity chef Thiago Silva founded SALT just this year,

page 18 | features

the lion's roar

Core Values

Finding Your Niche

Alan Reinstein English Teacher

Wabi Sabi When I was working in Japan not long after I finished college, I came across the Zen philosophy of “wabi-sabi,” an approach to art and life that sees beauty in the imperfect nature of the world and in human fallibility. Things that are broken or scratched are “wabi”; things that are old and dying are“sabi.” Zen artists celebrate this unevenness and impermanence of physical and human nature by making bowls and cups and gardens that are asymmetrical; they like things with cracks or smudges.

I worked for three years as an assistant English teacher in a Japanese junior high school, and my mentor-teacher, Daisuke Tazawa, taught me about “wabi-sabi” while we were hiking on a path in the Japanese Alps where candy wrappers from careless hikers were strewn alongside supple wildflowers. This must have been “wabi-sabi” for him: breathing the fresh fall air, hiking with a new friend up to the peak of Mount Jigatake, and picking up trash.

Tazawa-sensei was among the most respected and charismatic teachers in our junior high school. He was a confident English speaker and he was funny with both me and his students. We went to Tokyo Disneyland together during spring recess. He was also a volatile girls volleyball coach who was notorious for verbally abusing the ninth graders during a time in Japan when this behavior, although tolerated in the past, was no longer acceptable.

I like the idea that the world is beautiful in its imperfection and that this applies to the people in it, and that I am one of these people — imperfect and beautiful, too, not despite my clumsiness but strangely because of it. Whenever I remember to figure “wabi-sabi” into my own actions or responses — and it’s not often enough — I’m more ready to accept the mistakes I make and to forgive myself for them. This is what I want for our Newton South community, too: a more welcome readiness for self-generosity and self-acceptance. And yet, what about Tazawa-sensei, whose imperfections, according to“wabi-sabi,” may also be part of the world’s uneven beauty? You can see how this principle of “wabi-sabi” is tricky, because the idea of acceptance for the way things are seems to lead to complacency about them. How can you reconcile the two opposing virtues that you should (1) love yourself and the world just as it is and (2) change yourself and the world as it is? When should you be tolerant? When intolerant? When do you sigh? When do you scream?

I don’t have an answer for this one. My impulse is to say that finding balance between these two poles is the key to sane living during times when things can seem insane. People who are screamers may benefit from occasional spaces for moments of quiet acceptance; those who sigh with passive consent may find exhilarating purpose in pushing themselves to demand integrity and justice when they see crookedness. “Wabi-sabi” would seem to be okay with this. The urge to judge an action or a person with praise or condemnation is a natural yearning that comes from wanting to make order out of chaos. My own yearning is to use the principle of “wabi-sabi” to soften the starkness with which good and bad, and right and wrong, are construed. Perhaps this means condemning harmful actions while attempting to have compassion for those actors who behave badly — to both scream and sigh at the same moment. I didn’t scream at Tazawa-sensei, my friend, more than thirty years ago, when I should have. I’m thinking of him now, and I don’t know where he is.

Niche clubs at South create unique and welcoming environments for students

By Isabella Starkman and Angela Tao

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rom Cheese Club to Asian Makeup Club to Social Topics on Air, South's range of ‘niche’ clubs extends well beyond typical school offerings. The smaller communities provide a diverse student body with the opportunity to meet people with similar interests and try new things. While these groups may appear unconventional, there is much more to them than what meets the eye.

For Adam Cohen, senior and copresident of Cheese Club, the club is much more than its simple moniker. Cohen said that Cheese Club creates a relaxing environment where students can converse about cheese, life and beyond.

“We’re a lot more than cheese,” he said.

“It’s an engaging club, and it’s a tight-knit group of people that share a common interest.”

photo contributed by Asian Makeup Club

Club members apply facial makeup Senior and co-president Luke Beckett said that meetings often start with members describing their past seven days with a single “cheese of the week”.

“At the end of the day, it’s just a bunch of friends hanging out and a bunch of people getting to know each other that weren’t already friends,” he said. “You can just be you.”

Senior Kriste Bernard, president of Fashion Club, shares the experience of a tightknit club community. She founded the club to create a space for students to work on fashion projects and discuss brands, fast fashion and careers in the field.

Bernard said that from the beginning, Fashion Club’s smaller community provided a social safety net, something popular clubs might not have, especially for more introverted people.

“It’s just nice because everyone has their own little voice in the club, so it’s comforting,” she said.

Senior Kexin Huang started Asian Makeup Club, which she said is another open space for students to connect over common interests, including makeup and nail polish.

Huang said that the group has become a genuine community that helps members find confidence in themselves.

“We felt like there is a need for our school to have the space for people that are willing to do this,” she said. “They don’t have to be shy about putting on makeup.”

K-pop Club, where students gather to appreciate Korean culture through music, trends and dance, has participated in schoolwide events including Asian Night, a show hosted by the Asian Student Organization that features performances from various Asianaffinity groups.

“K-pop is a culture, it’s a Korean culture, and Americans have their own culture,” senior and club president Jisun Yoon said. “Being foreign makes it niche because you’re not familiar with it, and you need to have interest.

You need to be willing to have interest in that foreign culture.”

Although one might assume niche clubs like the Classics Club are specific, the club’s advisor, Latin teacher Matthew Williams, said Greco-Roman culture is a much broader topic than it seems.

“Yes, it’s a club for students with a very peculiar interest, something that’s not very common,” Williams said. “But when you delve into it, you realize how much influence the classics have on culture at large. Everything from the days of the week to the months of the year to our system of government — medicine, law, even things like architecture, teaching, science, have a lot to do with the classics and have a strong connection.”

The Classics Club hopes to expand to the point of attending competitive conventions, where club members can participate in arts and crafts projects and even chariot races, Williams said.

It can be easy to compare the popularity of traditional and niche clubs, but neither is inherently better, said Natasha Layer, a senior

photo contributed by K-pop Club

K-pop club performs dance routine

and founder of Social Topics on Air, a club where students discuss social justice issues through podcasts.

“Niche clubs offer a unique interest that people are going to explore, and [mainstream] clubs offer the other advantage of what is expected from that club. I don’t think that one is better or worse than the other. They have very different roles,” Layer said.

Yoon said that a significant difference between clubs lies in the operations, rather than the community or dedication to the club.

“There’s some financial difficulties, like we need to fundraise,” Yoon said. “People pay more attention to popular clubs, so they’ll be more supportive, but for niche clubs, it’s kind of difficult to operate.”

For Cohen, the uniqueness of South’s clubs is what makes them stand out.

"A niche club is going to be more authentic, in my opinion,” he said.“It's going to just set out what it was meant to be, and it's going to do it regardless of what people think.”

Cheese club shares platter of cheese during a meeting

photo contributed by Cheese Club

page 19

November 4, 2022

SPORTS issuu.com/thelionsroar

Volume 39, Issue 4

No Bags, No Bottles Administration announces new student section policy on belongings at under-the-lights games

By Sarah Schwartz and Olivia Whitaker

photo by Roni Ohanian

NSHS students join together in neon spirit at Winkler Field on Saturday, Sept. 24th to cheer on the varsity girls soccer team against Weymouth

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ince the installation of permanent stadium lights in 2020, every weekend has brought a student section packed with fans decked out in pink, white, black and even neon. However, attending these games has looked different recently. In a Sept. 22 email to the community, administrators outlined a new bag policy prohibiting student fans from bringing bags and water bottles to athletic events.

In previous years attendees could bring bags, water bottles and any other belongings they wished. This sudden change left many within the South community wondering what prompted the new policy.

Athletic Director Patricia Gonzalez said the policy was implemented for the safety of the students, as games draw large numbers of fans.

“Every weekend is a safety issue of who is coming and with what inside. We don't have resources to bag-search like in some concert venues.,” she said. “The decision was made to protect everyone from anything that could be brought into a venue where there are so many people involved.”

History teacher Lillian Robinson is one of the few teacher volunteers who monitor the student section at games. She said that neighboring schools were having issues with attendees bringing items that violated their policies.

“There have been a range of incidents within other districts where students are bringing illicit materials to games, and we do not want that here,” she said. “It was a good idea as a preventative measure.”

Alissa Allen*, a South student who asked to remain anonymous, said that before the policy was enforced, alcohol was present among students in the crowd.

“There would always be a couple people who had water bottles with stuff in it,” they said.

“I believe that [the policy] was implemented because of people drinking at games and adults finding out about it. I think this is their way of trying to keep us safe.”

The policy has also come following years of schools in surrounding districts enforcing a similar restriction. Guidelines that prohibit outside drinks and bags at games have been

enforced for years by schools like Natick High, Lincoln Sudbury Regional High and Newton North.

South parent and co-president of the Booster Club Teri Ginsburg said that after doing research about surrounding schools, she finds the policy reasonable.

“When I looked even further, I saw that colleges, concert halls and venues had these types of policies as well,” she said.“Then it made a lot of sense to me.”

Allen* said that although they can see where the administration is coming from, they don’t believe the new policy will fulfill its goal.

“I understand that they want to try and keep everyone safe, but I also think that this isn't necessarily going to stop people from doing what they're doing. People will still drink,” they said.

Senior Ben Modiano, a member of the boys cross country team who frequently attends games, also said that the policy may not achieve its intended impacts.

“People will just drink before the games

if they plan on drinking anyway, or sneak things in more creative ways,” he said. “The administration should really rely on the students for doing the right things at games since it's really a community event.”

The bag policy also forces many studentathletes to find a place to put their equipment when the locker rooms are closed. Modiano said the new policy inconveniences students like himself who attend night games directly from practice and must leave their bags unattended at the game.

“Personally, this change has been really annoying for me as a student-athlete who doesn't have time to go home after practices and before the game,” he said.

As the crowd size at games continues to grow, Ginsburg said the policy prioritizes student safety.

“It's to protect the kids,” Ginsburg said.

“It might have seemed abrupt, but it's really us catching up to what a lot of other schools have had in place for a long time.” *Name changed to protect interviewee’s identity

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Girls soccer shoots for the sky this season Andrew Feinberg & Tate Slater Sports Reporters

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In the past 22 years the girls soccer team has qualified for the playoffs 20 times.

With 16 athletes returning from last season’s roster (which capped their 21 game undefeated streak with a run to the final four), the team has consistently been ranked in the top 0.5% of teams in the nation and among the top teams in the state.

After a promising start to the season, the team’s chemistry, talent and dedication have continued to be strong.

A roster of 11 seniors includes four who have committed to continue playing in college.

Senior Amanda Cheng said that their impressive roster contributes to their success. “[We have a lot of ] pure talent. Obviously, there is a lot of value in good teamwork, but honestly we just have really good players on our team,” she said.

No matter the amount of talent, however, the team is bound to face some challenging matchJunior Nadia Mustafa at Sept. 21 game

ups, and that's why their versatility has been so valuable, senior captain Bria Abbiati said.

“We've had a ton of different people scoring goals and assisting goals, and being able to just move people around has let us best succeed against certain teams,” she said. “If a team has a really fast player, we just have one of our fastest players go on them.”

Abbiati said that their collective ability to overcome other teams’ strengths and take advantage of weaknesses has been an influential factor to the team's success.

Having been on the team for four years, Abbiati said she has experienced ups and downs throughout her high school career. Now, as the team looks to compete for the state title, she said the team’s bond has been especially strong this year.

“We've been doing really well. I'm working on our team chemistry and our communication, and I feel like we've been able to work together and be selfless,” she said.

Cheng said the captains have pushed them to be the best they can on the field and as a community.

“We have captains who are amazing that are constantly pushing us to be our best physically, but also the best teammates to each other. They’re always pushing us to have positive communication by holding each other accountable, but in positive ways,” she said.

Freshman Sarah Schwartz said that she felt welcomed and like she was a part of the team before the season even began.

“Before the season, we had preseason,

photos by Maureen Caulfield

Players embrace each other after a goal [left] and form a pre-game huddle [right] and we got to know each other pretty well, ” she said. ”It's cool to bond and hang out off the field too, which I feel translates onto the field.”

Head coach Doug McCarthy said that the team’s unity has been the secret to their ability to work together.

“We have a motto — we are many, we are one. We're just not going to be successful if we don't embody the team concept and take that into all of our games,” he said.

Chemistry, talent and positivity play large roles in the team’s success, Schwartz said.

After losses against Brookline, Franklin and Acton-Boxborough, she said they have utilized their strong community to bounce back.

“We’re treating it like the season’s starting now, and we’re trying not to lose again, and just

moving on from the game we lost and finding the best way to respond,” she said.

Their positive mentality is what makes the team so special, senior team manager Jillie McLeod said.

“Last year, we got really close. We lost in the semi finals and walking off that field, we all kind of felt we had what it took to get us there and we hope that this year we'll be able to make it further,” she said.

The successful season has been particularly significant for the players who returned from last year’s team, senior Luka Marceau said.

She said that she hopes their last shot at the state championship brings success.

“For most of the team, this is our last ride,” she said. “We want to end with a bang.”

Colors of fall: Blonde heads and dyed tips Levin Brenner & Clare Tourtelotte Sports Reporter, Sports Editor

everyone feels included.”

The hair dyeing extends beyond the cross country teams; like the girls cross country team, all members of the girls varsity soccer team are invited to dye their tips blue in early November for the playoffs, senior Nicole Tandetnitskiy said.

“We dye our hair for state playoffs, and it's a fun tradition so we all look united and spirited during the game,” she said. “It's special just for state playoffs: we only dye it if we make it.”

Maddy Genser, senior captain of the girls soccer team, said that hair dyeing unites the team by pushing everyone past their boundaries.

“We're all doing something together that might put us out of our comfort zone, but we do it because we’re all doing it together,” she said.

In contrast to the girls’ tradition, where every member of the team is able to dye their hair no matter their ability, the boys bleaching tradition is reserved for just the top seven

varsity runners.

Senior captain Ben Pistiner said that the exclusive and long-lived tradition has driven him to work harder.

“I first bleached my hair in my junior year. Seeing the varsity guys with bleached hair motivated me to train harder in the offseason with the hopes of making varsity,” he said.

Hair dyeing serves as a reminder of the strong community that exists in South sports, and while the iconic dyed tips for the girls teams don’t cause a jump scare, the boys' yellow heads always act as a great way to surprise people, especially for Halloween, Mileguir said.

Tandetnitskiy said that dyeing their tips builds community in a way that is separate from the sport.

“It brings us closer because we all do something that's fun and not soccer related,” she said. “Soccer can be intense on the field, so it’s a nice step off the field.”

Step 1: Hair Dye

Step 2: Compete

Every fall around mid-October, you may notice a herd of cross country boys with bleached blonde locks in the hallways.

Rumor has it that the origin of the hair bleaching tradition was to be spotted while running in the dark during Twilight, an annual night invitational meet on Cape Cod that both the girls and boys cross country teams competed at for years.

“It’s a race in the dark and the tradition is that if your hair was bleached, you could be spotted running in the dark,” junior Alon Mileguir said.

Like the boys cross country team, the girls cross country and girls varsity soccer teams also dye their hair every year towards the end of the season. This year, the cross country teams are not going to Twilight, so they dyed their hair

for the Oct. 28 Dual County League meet.

Rather than their whole heads, the girls cross country team dyes the tips of their hair bright pink. Senior Emily Savage said the tradition builds community among the team.

“We look cohesive and built like a team, and when we run it's empowering to be pink and to all run together as pink-haired people,” she said.

This inclusive aspect of the tradition drew Oona Helenius, senior captain of girls cross country, into the sport, even before entering high school.

“My favorite memory was actually from before I was a freshman. I was in eighth grade, and I went to the team dinner to watch my brother’s [hair] get bleached. The seniors on the team asked if I also wanted to get dyed, too,” she said. “I felt like a part of the team even before I went to South, and that really shows everyone’s commitment to making sure

photo by Reese Pinto

photo by Aidan Liberman

Boston Bulis dyes her head pink [left], boys team members bleach [right]

photos by Margot Madison

Alex Friedman & Alon Mileguir [left], Molly Johnson [right] at DCLs

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CROSSWORD PUZZLE Don't get cross if you can't figure out the puzzle! The answers are written in the little box below!

ACROSS

1. _____ Club (featured on page 18) is centered around a shared love of what dairy product?

2. While women make up 47 percent of the workforce, they only make up 27 percent of the ___ workforce (refer to the article on page 8).

4. Lunch lines have grown longer than ever

because students are held up typing what information?

5. Chali’Naru Dones, a Newton resident interviewed on page 3, is a member of what tribe?

7. Lakon ____ is a bakery in Newton Highlands specializing in French patisserie. The word we’re looking for is the name of the city in which “Ratatouille” is set.

8. How many days does Durga Puja last for?

10. A product traditionally used to dye the hair of the boys cross country team. Otherwise known as sodium hypochlorite.

11. The girls soccer team has been ranked in the top 0.5 percent in the _____.

12. Cape Verdeans celebrate their independence the day ___ the U.S.' independence day.

14. Both the girls cross country team and girls varsity soccer dyed their hair this color.

Answers: 1) cheese 2) stem 3) Turtle 4) lasid 5) Taino 6) bags 7) Paris 8) ten 9) Auburndale 10) bleach 11) nation 12) after 13) Yom Kippur 14) pink 15) five

DOWN

3. In many Indigenous cultures, North America is referred to as ____ Island.

6. Students are no longer allowed to bring what item with them to under-the-lights games?

9. Waban and this other village of Newton have fully volunteer-run libraries. Commonly referred to as “The ‘Dale”, this village is ridiculously far from South.

13. Holiest day in Judaism. Also known as the Day of Atonement.

15. The cost of a second meal is $___ and fifty cents.

By Eva Falkenstein and Eva Shimkus

POP QUIZ!

Which leftover Halloween candy are you?

My dream costume would be…

A) A meme B) A historical figure C) A book or movie character D) An object or concept

Thoughts on pumpkin spice lattes?

A) Meh. B) Love love love them.

C) I’ll drink a PSL in the fall ‘cuz I’m festive.

What is your go-to horror D) Absolutely not! movie?

A) “Jennifer’s Body” (2009) Favorite Halloween candy?

B) "The Shining” (1980) A) Milk Duds C) “The Conjuring” (2013) B) Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups D) “It” (2017) C) Sour Patch Kids D) Jolly Ranchers

A

B

Did you wear a costume to school on Monday?

A) I wore a funny headband or hat B) I went all-out — full body costume and makeup C) No :( D) My costume was so good it got me featured on my class office’s Instagram.

Ideal Halloween night activity?

A) A rager party!!!!

B) A movie night with friends.

C) Finishing the personal essay and/or homework D) Trick-or-treating (who says we’re too old!?)

If you answered mostly ... you got...

C

D

Tootsie Roll

Licorice

Twizzlers

Loose Swedish Fish

You are hugely underrated.

While your modesty may cause some to overlook you, the real ones will appreciate you for your amazing qualities.

You're an old soul who appreciates old classics. While you often feel misunderstood by people your age, you tend to get along well with old people.

You're on an unstoppable grindset right now. While the rest of us are playing checkers, you're playing chess. Keep doing what you're doing.

You have a very unique personality. Some might call you quirky. You don't feel a need to conform, and that's what makes you so great.

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Football for the WIN Seniors form "RMAFL," the touch football league with games during Thursday WIN blocks

A with

Amelia Everett

photo by Maureen Caulfield

The Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year reflects on her high school career, following her verbal commitment to run cross country and track at Stanford University.

By Elijah Costo and Zach Rhein

W

hile most students use WIN blocks as an excuse to take midday naps, a group of dedicated seniors decided to take advantage of the newly-instated blocks to practice a beloved American sport: football. Last fall, 30 seniors founded the Robinson Monarchal Avocational Football League (RMAFL), a four-team touch football league in history teacher and League Commissioner Lillian Robinson’s WIN blocks.

“At the end of the day, it was so nice out. I decided we are going to go outside every week, because I did not really want to be inside for WIN blocks,” she said.“My students who signed up, who are mostly my previous students, decided that they were going to start this football league.”

It can be hard to keep kids in a classroom during any WIN, but especially during WIN 2s, the last block of the day on Thursdays. With RMAFL, Robinson has been able to keep 30 kids in school who might otherwise take the opportunity to leave early.

Students went so far as to create a petition to remove a history department meeting from WIN 2 this fall to continue the league.

Although Robinson did not say whether she supported the league’s petition itself, she said she is glad that RMAFL has created a community that has encouraged kids to stay in school at the end of the day.

“If [the administration] wants options for kids to take so that they stay in the WIN block, this is a really good option,” she said.

Senior Zack Matzkin said that while the league keeps a fun, relaxing demeanor, it also maintains a competitive edge.

Q&

What has been your favorite part about running at Newton South?

I would say the team. We spend a lot of time together and we get really close. And [Coach] Steve does a good job of fostering positive coaching and a positive team environment.

Have you ever played other sports?

I played soccer for freshman, sophomore and junior year.

Is there any reason running stood out to you? photo contributed by Lucas Rishikoff

The Sand Cats celebrate defeating the Manatees in the 2021 League Championship “You have a team to fight for, being a number-one receiver or a number-one cornerback on your team. It adds competitiveness into the game that we are all craving,” he said.

The league has evolved in the past year with a draft, trades, petitions and a winner’s trophy. Last year, Nick Canter and the Sand Cats won the trophy, and it is displayed in Canter’s backyard.

Matzkin said that the league’s four teams each have their own style of play.

“My team personally, we have like four coaches. We've got a [student] general manager.

Sure, he doesn't do anything, but we've got one,” he said.

photo contributed by Adam Cohen

RMAFL players line up in their league merchandise during a WIN Block last spring

Senior Adam Cohen said that the league’s growth has opened opportunities for interesting new roles for members.

“The league has developed so much since its existence. We have lawyers now. We have a board of officials,” he said.

RMAFL started as solely a fall affair, fittingly in the heat of the football season nationwide. League co-founder Lucas Rishikoff said that he hopes to expand RMAFL’s season this coming year.

“My hopes are for RMAFL to spread and prosper into the spring time and kind of go out with a bang — a‘last ride’ type of thing,” he said.

While RMAFL is known for its great community, the league has had to contend with not being allowed to expand due to reaching its maximum capacity. As a result, many seniors who were hoping to join the league have been unable to take part in the league.

Robinson said that while she would like to continue expanding, a lack of resources makes it difficult to be able to include everyone in one of the most popular clubs at South.

“We already have 30 people a week going to WIN, and it's just too many. If we added more, it wouldd be too many people for one adult to supervise, and that was a big decision,” she said. “I think it's true. I think it's unfair for an adult to watch 45 kids.”

If the club's popularity is any indication of its impacts on the people in it, it is obvious that RMAFL has had a positive effect on all of the league's members, from team captain to team lawyer.

I liked it more than soccer. I was better at it.

And I also liked the individual part of running of pushing yourself and seeing how far you can go, but also being able to participate on a relay.

So it had both the individual and team aspect which I really liked.

What would you tell other athletes trying to play sports in college?

I would definitely say go for it. I think it's a really fun opportunity. And I think a lot more people [can] do it than they think they can. Put yourself out there and reach out to coaches.

What in particular about Stanford stood out to you?

When I visited, I really, really liked the coaches. I liked their philosophy and how they approached training and being an athlete in college. I also really connected with the team. I thought I got along really well with them, and I think that's important because we spend so much time together. So I would say definitely the people are what drew me to Stanford.

Where do you think your work ethic comes from?

I've always kind of set goals for myself and worked towards them. My parents taught me it when I was really little … I think it's something I've always had.

page 22 | sports

the lion's roar

Fall Sports Scoreboard

Infographic by Emily Cheng. Photo courtesy of Regulus

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL #2 IN THE STATE* Q&A

with Captain Lily Gamburg

Q: How has the team atmosphere influenced your performance?

A: Confidence is really important in volleyball, and you need to feel supported by your teammates, which we really worked hard on, and the winning obviously helps with confidence.

Q: The volleyball team has been

doing very well this year. How have you all been able to succeed and play so well?

A: Compared to years past, we've really put an emphasis on team bonding and bringing each other up because in past years there has always been tension on the team, but it’s going really well this year.

1ST DCL CHAMPIONSHIP BOYS SOCCER with Captain Q: How has the team achieved Q&A Kamar Burris-Khan such a high quality season?

Q: What is your team atmosphere and culture like?

A: We're almost a massive friend group, which helps because the dynamic on the field complements the dynamic off the field, and I'd say we've created a cohesive and tight knit community.

A: We've had a very talented

grade from middle school, and obviously the realm of conversation after that was what's going to happen the next time we're at the top.

I think that anticipation build up definitely helps because we hold ourselves to a higher standard.

*ACCORDING TO BOSTON GLOBE POWER RANKINGS

Friday Night Lights: Expectations vs. Reality Joey Giragos Sports Reporter

High school football is a truly unique experience.

Hundreds of rowdy teenage students pack a few rows of bleachers — a sea of white, pink or black, according to the spirit theme.

Hyped-up students with refreshments in hand crowd together in groups, with the occasional supportive chant for their Lions. Friday Night Lights is flat-out fun.

But at first glance, the scene can be deceiving. As it was my first year at South, I had high expectations for my first game. I’d been to various professional and college games, but never a high school football game. I’d been told great things about the culture of the game and its environment, but upon getting there I felt unimpressed.

I thought the crowd would be buzzing, but it was quite the opposite: a hush seemed to settle over the sparsely populated bleachers.

I sat awkwardly with my friends, waiting for the game to start. But as the sun set and the fall air turned cool, the game began, and the crowd came to life.

Before long, the student section was filled to the brim with kids from all grades, shouting for our Lions. The raucous chants of “I believe that we will win!” never seemed to get old, and my voice quickly grew hoarse.

The craziness wasn’t limited to the fans, though. Even the players got in on the action, hyping up the crowd, hollering words that I’m sure the parents in attendance were unhappy to hear. When South scored the first touchdown of the game, I found myself high-fiving kids I didn’t even know, basking in the glory of taking the lead. I felt connected not only to the game but also to the people around me.

Sophomore lineman Oscar Mulcahey said that the vibrant energy carried into the performance of the team. “It’s electric,” he said.

The interesting part about the whole experience is that the actual football game itself seemed secondary to the social environment.

After that first rushing touchdown, South didn’t score again and took a loss.

If this were a Patriots game, the crowd would have left dejected and disappointed.

Instead, the happy-go-lucky attitude of the South fans carried over despite the crushing defeat, which lightened the mood.

Friday Night Lights is an energizing and exciting experience where you can bond with your peers and watch some (decent) football.

While it can take a while for that electricity to course through the crowd, by the end of the game everyone finds themselves in a good mood, joyful from the experience.

I found myself feeling connected to the school and those around me — my first real sense of belonging in the community since I had started South just a few days earlier. I had given Friday Night Lights a chance, and it hadn’t let me down.

I found myself high-fiving kids I didn't even know, basking in the glory of taking the lead. I felt connected not only to the game but also to those around me.

graphic by Adrienne Lirio