The Lion's Roar 39-5

VOL. 39 ISSue 5

CHANGE MAKERS Gen Z steps onto the national stage after midterm elections and paves the way for future youth engagement

Photo by Bella Ishanyan

Newton South High School · Newton, MA Est. 1984 · December 16, 2022

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the LION'S

By Bella Ishanyan & Matan Josephy

Special Election on Tax Override

04

An Introvert's Guide to Surviving the Holidays

11

Dismantling the Gerontocracy

12-13

Singin' in the Snow

15

Spotlight on North-South Girls Hockey

20

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December 16, 2022

NEWS issuu.com/thelionsroar

Volume 39, Issue 5

November in Review

By Jaesuh Lee

The gift drive is a great way to give back to those in need. … Giving back to the community is always amazing. graphics by Emily Cheng

Tom Shimoni senior class president

photo by Jaesuh Lee

Annual Holiday Gift Drive Every December, the South community comes together to participate in a holiday-themed charity effort to bring gifts to children in need. This year, 25 groups including advisories, classes and departments are helping families at the BromleyHeath Housing Project in Jamaica Plain. Participating groups “adopt” a child, meaning that students and educators gather gifts, ranging from clothes to toys to books.

The gift drive allows us to take stock of all we have, as individuals and collectively as a community … [It’s] a small way for me to remind myself that I am really fortunate as I intentionally spend money for someone else's joy.

Michelle Caine biology teacher

They wish to give the City of Newton and Newton Conservators the opportunity to purchase the property … for purposes like the expansion of open space, the school district, recreation or other municipal uses David A. Rosen chairman of LandVest Real Estate via The Boston Globe

The city’s interests include the provision of affordable housing in excess of the city’s requirements and reserves [space] for future school or recreation facility needs.

Ruthanne Fuller mayor of Newton via a community update

photo courtesy of Boston Globe

Dudley Estate Up for Sale Owners of a 15-acre property across from South recently put up the land for sale, offering the city of Newton an opportunity to buy the estate for $24 million. The majority of the land, between Brandeis and Dudley Roads, is currently zoned to be a single-family residence, however Mayor Ruthanne Fuller hopes to develop the land into affordable housing units. The city has issued an Expression of Interest request to potential partners to jointly develop the property.

We need to celebrate these victories, but we also have to understand we have a long way to go. There’s lots of work to do until this becomes the norm.

Lisa Linde music teacher photo courtesy of WBUR

Healey Elected as Governor Attorney General Maura Healey’s decisive victory in the November 8 state election marked a momentous occasion in state politics: she became the first woman in Massachusetts history and the first openly lesbian candidate in the country to ever be elected governor, the highest position of power in the state.

Members of the South community praised the milestone as a step in the right direction toward diversity in gender and sexual-orientation.

There are lots of young people who are hesitant to get into politics, whether it's because of gender, race or sexual orientation … Now they have someone who says [that] you can.

Matthew Wilson English teacher

issuu.com/thelionsroar

news | page 3

Test retake policies inconsistent post-Covid Julia Lee & Anahita Menon News Editor & News Reporter

In light of grading discrepancies in many departments’ testing practices, students and faculty have been working to create universal test retake policies across the school.

South has never had an official policy that mandates test retakes. Currently, only the history department follows a uniform policy, which allows students to retake a test if they initially scored below 80%.

Department head Jennifer Morrill said that changes during the pandemic forced her to reevaluate the way the department assesses grades.

“During COVID, everything was kind of thrown up in the air,” she said. “You have to think about how fair it is to grade students in this atmosphere, and that made us have conversations, and then pushed us to reconsider some of our approaches.”

Although the math department has not enforced a retake policy, department head Alex Kraus said that he has experimented with different grading policies in his own classroom.

“I'm looking at different ways to generate multiple opportunities for competency,” he said. "We are continually working for a way to clearly represent student learning that really is equitable and does not disadvantage

any particular group or place one group over another in terms of giving undue advantages.”

Sophomore Adam Sheena said that the lack of standardized grading policies within departments can lead to unfair advantages.

“Grading and homework policies should be consistent throughout departments. Students shouldn't be getting an A in a class just because by chance they got a more forgiving teacher,” he said.

Junior Juliana Gomez Reynoso said that classes’ difficulty should not be dependent upon the teacher.

“Sometimes it can feel unfair because my friend has easier work or a grading system that puts less pressure on their test grades. Because of this, I constantly compare my grade to what it could be if my teacher had the same grading system as another teacher who teaches the subject and is more lenient,” she said.

To combat the lack of uniformity across the school, both the South Senate and the recently-created Grading for Equity group have been pushing for standardization and clarity of teachers’ policies.

English department head Brian Baron formed Grading for Equity in 2020. Comprised of almost 30 teachers, the group researches and advocates for a more standard and equitable grading system. Baron said

that at meetings every Wednesday morning, he goes over the group’s objectives.

“One of our long-term goals is to get the school to agree on what grades communicate, and we want grades to communicate student learning as much as possible. Our goals for this year are to get better individually and to bring more people into the conversation,” he said.

Creating a universal understanding of the purpose and value of a letter grade has proven to be a difficult task, as the discussion has been ongoing for the last three school years. Baron said that although the group does not have the authority to implement a policy, its members share a common goal.

“We're just a group of teachers and administrators who think that we need to have a uniform grading policy at school, and creating one on the basis of promoting fairness and equity seems like a logical way to go about doing that,” he said.

South Senate’s Academics Committee is working to make similar changes in the clarity and uniformity of grading. On Dec. 7, senators approved a policy requiring teachers to post their retake policies on the syllabus at the beginning of the year. If they make changes, teachers are required to add them to the original document. South’s

administration has not yet approved the bill.

Sophomore senator Sarina Chand said that clarifying the current rules is the best place to start in establishing a schoolwide retake policy.

“What we're trying to do is make sure that students are aware of what their retake policies are … and that teachers aren’t able to change their policies without students knowing,” she said.

Senior senator Lily Paltrowitz said that she hopes the new policy will address previous communication issues between students and teachers.

“It will be more transparent between teachers and students on what the retake policy is,” she said. “There will also be more trust between teachers and students when there’s a single policy that both people have to adhere to.”

Kraus said that a core value of a universal testing policy should be ensuring an accurate reflection of student learning.

“We should have a system of evaluating students that understands that learning is a process, it doesn't always come at the same rate to all students and that learning is a process that is supposed to contain mistakes,” he said. “Therefore, if we're going to fairly assess students in a way that is authentic to what real learning is, it should be one in which it is safe to make mistakes along the way.” graphic by Julie Wang

National organization sues North theater Ella Hurwitz & Alex Zakuta News Reporters

In October, Parents Defending Education (PDE), a national right-wing nonprofit, filed a civil rights complaint with the Department of Education against Newton North High School. The Oct. 4 complaint, available on their website, targeted the annual production “Lost and Found: Stories of People of Color by People of Color'' performed by North students.

PDE claimed that the production violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, which outlaws discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin in programs or activities receiving federal funding.

Despite the complaint, North students are currently rehearsing for this year’s production, which will run from Jan. 19-22.

Last year, PDE sued Wellesley High School for hosting a discussion forum for Asian students regarding a hate-motivated shooting at a massage parlor in Atlanta. The organization claims that there have been 43 incidents when Massachusetts schools taught about race, gender or sexual orientation in an illegal manner.

PDE did not respond to interview requests. Their website states that they are dedicated to fighting indoctrination in the classroom by removing politics from public education. Claiming to be grassroots and locally engaged, leaders of PDE have made frequent appearances on the national right-wing networks Fox News and Newsmax and have pushed back against pro-LGBTQ policies.

According to their website, PDE

“believe[s] our children’s education should be based on scholarship and facts, and should nurture their development into the happy, resilient, free-thinking, educated citizens every democracy needs. Our classrooms should include rigorous instruction in history, civics, literature, math, the sciences and the ideas and values that enrich our country.”

The organization’s complaint claimed that the theater department’s application for auditions, which requests a headshot and for students to identify themselves racially and ethnically, is discriminatory.

“The performance description does not assert that participation in this performance is open to all,” their website said. “Accordingly, we ask that the Department [of Education] promptly investigate the allegations in this complaint, act swiftly to remedy unlawful policies and practices and order appropriate relief.”

South theater department head Jeff Knoedler said that “Lost and Found” was organized to allow students to discuss and share their experiences with others.

“The intention of the production was to give a safe space to students of color where they can talk about racism and other things that are affecting them,” he said.

North junior class vice president Zonna Okonkwo said that “Lost and Found” offers opportunities for numerous forms of creative expression.

“The show is a cabaret for students of color,” she said. “They can sing, dance or even give a poem or a monologue.”

For North senior Asa Karon, who codesigned last year’s production, the show gives students a chance to explore and express their

identity in new creative ways.

“It's interesting because lots of times it isn't just theater. It's some theater, some music, some art pieces that people made that they put up outside,” she said.“There's musical numbers that people wrote or performed. Some of them were reading poems.”

While a goal of the production is to project the voices of people of color within the North community, North Principal Henry Turner said that no students were prohibited from auditioning.

“A performance that shares the stories of students of color is certainly important and in line with the values of our school, but no one was prevented from trying out. It wasn’t limited to certain groups,” he said.

Okonkwo said that the production’s intention is not to discriminate, but rather to provide historically marginalized people the opportunity to share their voices.

"The point of the show is to create a safe space for POC students,” she said. “There are so many other opportunities that [White students] can participate in because they're White and won't be excluded for their race.”

South sophomore Sonia MilstenOckene said that although theater should be a place for everyone, prioritizing minority groups ensures that everyone has the opportunity to get involved.

“Everyone should be allowed to do theater but, sometimes minority groups should be given the chance to have more of an experience in theater than they might have otherwise,” she said.

South sophomore Asher Navinsky, who is a member of South Stage, said that the

benefits of theater extend beyond performers to the audience as well.

“The great thing about theater is it can educate you through story so everyone can get involved with it,” he said. “You can purely follow the story or you can use it as a way to teach something.”

Turner said the annual production has become an ongoing source of joy and education at North.

“The students who created the idea and the students who have participated before have certainly had a way of lifting our spirits,” he said.

“This is a great new tradition for our school.”

photo courtesy of the Newton North theater departement

North student rehearses play on stage.

page 4 | news

the lion's roar

Special Election on Tax Override to Be Held on March 14 Residents push for the proposed override, which would finance city improvements and elementary school renovations

O

n March 14, Newton residents will vote on a proposed property tax increase following the City Council’s Nov. 21 decision to hold a special election on the measure. The tax override, which consists of three questions, would fund improvements around the city, including elementary school building construction.

All questions ask voters to approve an exemption to Proposition 2 1/2, a state regulation that limits yearly property tax increases to 2 1/2%.

Question One is an operating city budget override that would raise an additional $9.175 million in taxes each year to fund Newton Public Schools (NPS), street and sidewalk construction, programs for senior citizens and city-wide environmental improvements. Tax increases for Question 1 would begin in July 2023.

Questions Two and Three are debt exclusion overrides that would allow the city to pay for the debt service from bonds to renovate or replace the Countryside and Franklin elementary schools. $2.3 million would be raised for Countryside and $3.5 million would be raised for Franklin. These increases would not go into effect until the bonding process begins and are not permanent.

The override would raise the taxes for Newton’s median home valued at $1.2 million by $290 for the next fiscal year and an additional $183 by 2030, when the bonding is in place for the elementary schools. In an Oct. 19 interview with NewTV, Mayor Ruthanne Fuller said she created the override proposal as a response to what residents want.

“We are continuously updating our financial plans and you can imagine during the worst of the pandemic how difficult that was.

We're always looking at what the needs are of our residents and students,” she said. “We're always taking that information and saying, ‘So what do we need to do to meet the high expectations of Newtonians?’ That's how it all

came together.”

City Council Vice President Rick Lipof said that for the city to continue funding projects at its current rate, the override is necessary.

“Whenever the city asks for one, it's serious. We don't do it to have extra money.

We do it for specific projects or to keep pace,” he said. “What an override is about is paying for things that if we don't get the money, we may not be able to do.”

However, in the City Council’s Nov. 21 meeting, Councilor Leonard Gentile said that the override is unneeded and that the city should work with what it has, including its $42 million of unused COVID-19 relief funds.

“I don't know how you go out to the taxpayers having received that amount of money, and still having a substantial amount of money, and tell them that we need more,” he said. “We don't have a revenue problem. If anything, we have, at times, a spending problem.”

City Councilor Tarik Lucas, who is undecided on the operating override but supports the debt exclusion overrides, said that he has heard from residents who are against a permanent tax increase, particularly with rising inflation.

“The cost of everything due to inflation, cost of living, cost of housing, interest rates, they're all going up,” he said. “As they say, inflation is a hidden tax. Well, here is an actual tax on top of that.”

Residents who support the override are organizing through Vote Yes for Newton, a ballot question committee formed by Kerry Prasad and Christine Dutt.

“The mission that we have set for ourselves is to run a positive campaign in order to educate the voters of Newton about why we think an override is necessary and why we believe they should vote [for it],” Prasad said. “It's important for us to be running that positive campaign because we think that this is a chance for people in our community who have different points of view to come together.”

graphic by Julie Wang

By Liv Middien, Preethika Vemula and Lily Zarr

Since the NPS budget has been in a structural deficit for years, Dutt said that the override is crucial.

“The operating override would put $4.5 million into the NPS budget,” she said. “There would [also] be money that would go to repairing our roads, and $500,000 to replenishing our street tree canopy, which would result in an additional 300 street trees being planted.”

The override is necessary to cover for past deficits, history teacher Michael Kozuch said, especially considering NPS’ $2.3 million budget gap last year.

“It's important to go through these overrides [with] all of the needs in education right now, in dealing with climate change and other infrastructure issues,” he said. “We had cuts last year and those cuts need to be restored. It's really important that we as a community face the challenges that are in front of us.”

photo courtesy of Countryside Elementary School PTO, photoillustration by Julie Wang

If Question Two is approved, bonds will be issued to fund the renovation or rebuilding of Countryside Elementary School.

Franklin Elementary School Principal and South parent Mark Chitty said that additional funds are necessary for Franklin to house up-to-date educational programming, which is currently limited due to the building’s size.

“Thinking about the spacing for having classrooms that are large enough, having enough different types of rooms to have small group instruction, or to have professional meetings, or to have counseling or different kinds of support that students need, the building as it is just doesn't have enough spaces for all of those things to take place,” he said.

However, Chitty said that the quality of the school buildings does not deter families from looking to Newton for their children’s education.

“In Newton, families send their kids to a school system with a lot of aging facilities out of a belief that there's something special in the community and the education that they're going to get,” he said. “It happens with outdated facilities in many cases, but how much better [is it] if you can have those good things happen in newer and updated facilities?”

Residents who struggle to pay increased taxes will be supported by the city’s tax relief programs, Prasad said.

“There are people in Newton for which that cost is a step too far,” she said. “The City Hall has put in place a number of programs that will help folks who qualify to either defer the taxes or to have other ways to approach paying.”

Although there is a cost to passing the override, Dutt said that it ultimately will be beneficial for the city.

“The needs that Newton faces today are critical and urgent. Newton needs the revenue today,” she said.“This override will do a good job of addressing the things that we need to take care of in our home city of Newton.”

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news | page 5

TRIPLE THREAT The South community stays vigilant in light of spikes in COVID-19, the flu and RSV

By Jaesuh Lee and Suvi Talvitie The onset of flu season this year introduced the threat of a new “tripledemic” — a dangerous combination of the flu, COVID–19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Johns Hopkins Hospital, and the Massachusetts Department of Health show recent increases in cases, including a rise in weekly Covid infections.

Biology teacher Michelle Caine said that like in previous years, the increase in infections can be attributed to the typical difference in weather that comes with the winter season.

“As the weather gets cooler and people's bodies are under a little more stress in terms of adjusting to different weather and dealing with the cold, that always leads to a little bit of a peak in illness,” she said.

Unlike past flu seasons, however, school nurse Karleen Kiritsy said that the spike in illness has been heightened due to a lack of immunity from wearing masks throughout last winter. “[During the pandemic], we were not exposed to common respiratory viruses, and so [people] haven't built up their own immunity,” she said.

These diseases, particularly RSV, are

very dangerous for young children. In the preschool, staff members are taking extensive precautions to keep children safe. Pre-school program director Kevin Leanne said that the preschool has implemented stricter participation requirements that resemble those of the onset of Covid.

Leanne and other staff have also been more cautious when high school students taking Early Childhood Development enter the preschool.

“If [the high schoolers are] not feeling well [they just won’t] come into the preschool.

Some of them will choose to wear masks and come in,” he said.

Junior Gabriella Priddis said that after having lived through several years of the pandemic, she is trying to be more vigilant in taking steps to avoid getting sick.

“Getting [Covid] is definitely not what I want, because I don't want to go back into having to stay away from people. It's scary,” she said.

Kiritsy said that while she is aware of rising sickness rates in the nation as a whole, any risk associated with these viruses mostly affects younger pediatric patients and does not pose a large threat to South's older high school population.

Public health mitigation efforts are good, but ultimately it comes down to an individual action of preventing infection.

Hanni Menn South parent Senior Ethan Pang said that he does not plan to wear a mask when not sick and does not think that any additional mandates are necessary.

“Whenever I wear a mask it’s because I have symptoms, even if I don’t have anything serious. [It’s mostly] so that others don’t get alarmed,” he said.

South parent Hanni Menn said that no matter how much authority health officials have, individuals are the most responsible for their own safety.

“As a parent and as a physician, I think that public health mitigation efforts are good,

but ultimately it comes down to an individual action of preventing infection,'' she said. "It's everyone's personal responsibility to be aware of the current outbreak, with Covid, RSV, and the flu. [People should] frequently get tested and stay at home if they're feeling sick."

School nurse Gail Kramer said that although the illnesses have been manageable at the school so far, she still advises preventative measures.

“Stay home when you're sick. If you're coughing and you're sick, stay home, and do frequent hand washing. RSV has always been here,” she said. “Getting vaccinated against the flu yearly is important, and the same for Covid, as it's been shown that vaccines for Covid really help people not get sick.”

Caine said that students should prioritize their well-being, as proper nutrition and other healthy practices are key steps in maintaining general health.

“It's good to make sure you have [all of your] vitamins and minerals and make sure you're staying away from people that are sick,” she said. “If you're sick, [what is important is] really getting rest and not trying to push through it because what your body needs more than anything else is just to be able to recover.”

graphic by Emily Cheng

page 6 December 16, 2022

EDITORIALS issuu.com/thelionsroar

Volume 39, Issue 5

Administration must reconsider schedule We’ve hardly been through three semesters of the new schedule, and its negative impacts on the schoolwide community have become impossible to ignore. Thanks to the pandemic, we’ve had four different school schedule formats in the span of three years. The schedule we’ve landed on had been in the works for years until the pandemic finally provided an opportunity to start anew.

Even amidst the backdrop of pandemicinduced social isolation and declines in mental well-being, Newton Public Schools failed to reevaluate and improve the school’s support for student connection and mental health.

With a single advisory each week, three class meeting times per week, a 9 a.m. start time and new Lion and WIN Blocks, the schedule’s format strips students of the opportunities to connect that our seniors remember as freshmen.

Rather than solicit the feedback of students, teachers and families, over a year and a half later, NPS has failed to solve problems with the schedule. Just listening to students and teachers would make worlds of difference for both students' mental health and the South community as a whole.

Let’s start with Monday morning advisory. While the vast majority of underclassmen and juniors who attended our editorial meeting indicated that they do not feel connected to their advisories, the seniors in the room still

remembered the three five-minute blocks and one 25-minute block we attended as freshmen.

As freshmen, current seniors saw brandnew classmates often and for shorter blocks of time. Even if they spent that time sitting on our phones or catching up on schoolwork, the few minutes of near-daily facetime stoked connection. We’d nod at each other in the hall, and advisory became that familiar place for us to catch our breath in the rush of the school day.

Now, for just a 20-minute block once a week, students spend their advisory time signing up for WINs, filling out “school connectedness surveys” (see the irony?), listening to powerpoints presented by deans, practicing safety drills and even attending guidance seminars intermittently throughout the year.

Supposedly, advisory is a student’s most immediate source of community, topping the list of student supports cited in The Program of Studies. Advisories, the school claims, provide students a place to“get to know one another and a teacher,” “provide support for one another” and “have fun together by playing games and relaxing.” Clearly, that description is now passé, with advisory now having been transformed into a catch-all time for administrative tasks.

Moving on to the rest of our classes during the day, there is a similar pattern of scheduling fewer classes for longer periods of time, clearly a deliberate change to the

SUBMIT a letter to the editor to ss.lionsroar@gmail.com

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approach to learning. Meeting fewer times per week might give students more time to complete nightly homework, but it also strips students of frequent facetime with classmates and teachers. There’s less of an opportunity to build those connections we yearned for during Zoom school when we only see an elbow buddy every other day, rather than every day.

Perhaps most relevant to The Roar is the incredibly limited time set aside for clubs to meet. With the new “Orange” and “Blue” weeks, the school allots just one 50 minute block every two weeks for each club to meet.

In response to student concerns, the school’s only solution in the “South Schedule Student FAQ“ document in September 2021 was that clubs could find time to meet outside of school, before or after.

It’s true that clubs can decide to meet every Lion Block, but that restricts opportunities for students to try out other clubs and activities and to meet students who share their interests.

And that is ultimately how we build connections and foster opportunities for students to feel like they belong in the student body of 1,850, where it’s easy to feel lost in the crowd.

By its nature, change is hard, and as a newspaper constantly trying to be at the forefront, we understand that better than most.

We cover controversy in reforming the city’s zoning laws, debates about the tax override and

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.

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the political opposition to changing Columbus Day to recognize Indigenous people, but we’ve given this new schedule a chance.

We’ve approached it with an open mind for the last year and a half, and we’re telling you, it’s not working. To truly recreate the interpersonal connections that we formed pre-pandemic, we need to see our classmates as often as possible.

North and South’s administration and the School Committee must meet to consider making changes to the schedule and solicit students and teachers’ voices, because we are the most affected. We must take this opportunity to have these conversations before the seniors — the only ones who’ve known anything different — graduate. We can work towards a more connected school environment.

As Principal Stras said in an August 20, 2021 interview in preparation for the schedule’s implementation, “Part of launching something successfully is constantly monitoring it, constantly assessing it and then looking at the feedback to see what can make it better.

We’re looking consciously and intentionally at what practices we have on hand on the socialemotional side of things and what we can do proactively to ensure that you have the right skills needed to be successful. That’s not just academic, it’s social and emotional, [and] all of those things go along with it.”

Julian Phillips

Sarah Wei

Section Editors Opinions

News

Grace Dempsey Jaesuh Lee Julia Lee Lily Zarr

Features

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

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editorials | page 7

LETTER from the

EDITOR Sarah Feinberg Manging Editor

As glimpses of glittering snowfall through the fogged window pane interrupted my nightly homework routine, I jumped from my desk to admire the view. Without much thought, I paused my half-finished calculus homework spread askew on my desk and ran outside.

Walking in the dusting of fresh powder beneath my feet, I couldn't help but feel the flutter in my stomach, the same excitement I’ve felt since I was little.

Half an inch of snow isn't anything groundbreaking, really. Living in New England all my life, I’ve become accustomed to six-foot pileup blizzards and snow-ins. So it wasn’t the idea that the flurries were a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence that brought me outside; I took the time to enjoy the snow because I knew I would soon miss this little moment of simple pleasure — knowing that at any moment the glittering flakes could come to a halt, the dusting vanishing into wind and shining sun.

Last year, despite the winter paradise outside, I often found myself inside, wading through piles of textbook readings and videos, neglecting to take needed breaks. While I was guilty of marathon study sessions, clocking in many library hours and multitasking with friends at lunch to finish up homework, it was easy to lose sight of the reasons behind it all.

Freezing the present

It was during the first week of this December with the first snowfall that I realized I was already almost halfway through senior year. I’d spent my fall and past year caught up in conquering small obstacles to reach the next week, the next month, the next semester.

I neglected to fully appreciate not only the material I was learning but also the connection of daily interactions with friends, classmates and teachers.

Before, I had reminded myself time and again to “take time to smell the roses,” enjoying life and being present in the moment. While I applied this to the time spent with family, summer days walking on the beach or enjoying a hike, I too often neglected to apply the same mindset to my learning journey when caught up with the busiest of days.

Now, I remind myself to enjoy the process of learning for the joy of it. I focus on simply enjoying the flow of ideas and each step in the process when writing or reading, resisting my frequent urge to overthink. Similarly, rather than dreading the long four-hour car rides to visit out-of-town family and wishing the ride would be over, I remind myself to savor the car games and conversations with my parents and siblings, which I know I will soon miss in a few short months.

In a space where it can feel like the focus is on checking off boxes, moments dedicated to slowing down are a welcome breath of connection to the present.

In a month, a year, five years, I likely won't remember details of the wording or grammar in essays or notes occupying my mind before the deadline, but rather how the assignment made me feel and how the class shaped my perception of the world. It's not about making everything perfect, but instead appreciating, enjoying and learning from the journey. I hope we can all try to find something to enjoy and learn from in the present moment, during the remaining months of our high school years.

I must truly take a moment to relish the final months of my high school career and remember that this step in my process is not the end of an obstacle to conquer, but instead the beginning of a path of exploration. As the season for snow continues, I am excited to walk in every fresh layer that falls.

In a space where it can feel like the focus is on checking off boxes, moments dedicated to slowing down are a welcome breath of connection to the present.

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December 16, 2022

OPINIONS issuu.com/thelionsroar

Volume 39, Issue 5

Winter Blues Seasonal depression, also known as SAD, often goes unnoticed despite its detrimental affects on motivation and energy

By Hana Futai and Keira Quinlan-Nardella

W

hen we think of winter, the thought of shorter days filled with frigid temperatures is one of the first things that come to our minds. For some, this abrupt change in weather triggers a chemical change in the brain leading to seasonal depression, also known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), where individuals experience symptoms of depression throughout the fall and winter seasons.

From feeling unmotivated in school or sports to withdrawing from social situations and fighting excess fatigue, the symptoms of seasonal depression echo those of the stereotypical “standards” of depression. Even though these symptoms may just last a few months of the year, we must take this phenomenon as seriously as we do depression, which still isn’t enough.

Many adults and teens discount these symptoms of depression as“moodiness” or typical teenage behaviors when in reality, it is harmful to ignore these warnings of a more serious condition. It doesn’t help that at school, peers often joke about being depressed.

This may be because many teens have been taught to trivialize depression due to how common it is in society. Al-

though many claim that what they are saying is just a joke and isn’t meant to be offensive, it is important to understand that these simple words can be degrading towards students who are struggling with mental health issues. Seemingly lighthearted and simple phrases can have a greater impact on others than you may realize in the moment.

Millions of Americans suffer from SAD, and most let it go unrecognized, so it’s important to notice the warning signs for yourself and others. For many individuals who are experiencing seasonal depression or general depression, they often find it difficult to maintain a regular schedule and find joy in everyday life.

It’s important to take breaks and not blame yourself if you don’t understand why you’re feeling a certain way. It’s okay to spend time for yourself when you need it because in such a busy world, we should learn to prioritize our emotions. Additionally, understanding specific “thinking traps” and the way your mind works when you experience certain emotions is a helpful way to reflect. If you find yourself beginning to experience these feelings, try these strategies to prevent yourself from

falling deeper into this depression.

Another strategy is to prioritize social activities. Although it may be difficult, going out to social events can help put aside your negative feelings and be present. Being with friends, even if it’s just a brief conversation, offers an opportunity to take stress off of your back and lighten your mood.

If you notice a friend not applying themselves to things they used to enjoy, canceling plans frequently and seeming sluggish or tired, educate yourself to the best of your ability using reliable sources, and have a conversation with them. Although this may not be easy, sometimes even a smile or hug could help tell a friend they’re not alone.

We need to change our perspective on seasonal depression. Everyone experiences different symptoms, so not all strategies work on everyone. It is crucial that we strive to be more empathetic and accepting towards all.

As a society, we should aim to create a supportive community where people are able to gain the courage to speak up about their experiences and seek help, and we must be there to offer that help.

From feeling unmotivated in school or sports to withdrawing from social situations to fighting excess fatigue, the symptoms of seasonal depression echo those of the stereotypical “standards” of depression.

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We need to change our perspectives on seasonal depression. Everyone experiences different symptoms, so not all strategies work on everyone. It is crucial that we strive to be more empathetic and accepting towards all individuals.

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opinions | page 9

HEALTHY HABITS Three opinions writers try a healthy habit everyday for a week Graphics by Caitlin Ang

Scarce to Sufficient Sleep

By Eden Levitt-Horne

Meaningful Meditation

By Isabella Wilson

Superfood or Superfluous?

By Yana Kane

I

’ve never been a 10-12 hours of sleep a night type of person, but over the past few years, my seven-to-eight hours a night has dropped to four-to-six. While I don’t think my lack of sleep greatly impacts me (though science suggests otherwise), I resolved that for this article, I would abandon my night shifts as Tyler Durden and get at least six hours of sleep each night for a week.

Sleep isn’t easy for me, so I tried a couple strategies, starting with listening to meditation podcasts before going to sleep. In the past, I’ve tried meditations my friends and family recommended, but they bored me to death. However, this week, I was all in. Well, I tried to be.

But after three days of listening to a voice instructing me to breathe, overlaid with discombobulated nature sounds, my restlessness persisted and I ultimately ended my illustrious mindfulness career.

Next, I decided to try a different sleep “hack”: listening to music. This method proved to be futile, and I ended up restlessly fixating on

the individual songs rather than peacefully drifting to sleep.

After the lack of success in my first two strategies, I decided to take a more methodological approach, downloading an app to record my hours slept and beginning to take naps whenever I had time to spare.

During the week, I followed my standard routine while also tracking my hours slept. While I didn’t regularly achieve eight hours, I found that tracking my daily routine allowed me to hold myself accountable to be more productive — establishing sleep as a priority enabled me to structure my time better.

So, did getting an extra few hours of sleep change my life? Well, kind of. I’m still not quite ready to write a self-help book and start posting my 700-step nighttime routine on TikTok, but I do think that it pushed me to become more mindful of my sleeping habits and hopefully will help me to devise better ones for the future.

W

e have all heard countless wellness teachers, doctors and therapists recommend daily meditation as a reliever of stress or anxiety, as well as a way to improve emotional health and self-awareness.

I decided to put this to the test. Over the course of one week, I begin meditating for 10 minutes each morning to see its impact on my stress levels.

On my first day, I listened to a guided meditation on YouTube. I was instructed to sit up in a seated position with my limbs relaxed and to release tension from my muscles.

I immediately felt lighter and less tense.

The video directed me to put any negative thoughts or concerns out of my mind and focus on the task at hand.

At first, this was difficult to do because my mind was busy with a million other thoughts. But with practice, I eventually could solely focus on the meditation session.

As I visualized the words of the guide, my room filled with the sounds of rain and

birds chirping, giving me the illusion that I was outside.

Using AirPods or headphones made the experience better by blocking out any outside noises. The repetitive nature of the deep breathing created a sense of mindfulness and self-awareness that allowed me to feel less anxious and more centered.

After repeating this cycle of mediation for one week, I noticed that I was far more centered throughout the week, and any worries I had were greatly diminished.

Although I am not an expert in the matter, I’ve realized that in meditating, consistency is key: meditating once can provide immediate short-term results; however, if you want the overall benefits of this practice, the more often you do it, the better.

Meditation is a beneficial tool to become less stressed and improve focus throughout the day, and I highly recommend it to anyone thinking of trying this healthy habit.

N

the drink’s only effect on me that day was decreasing my hunger.

Over the next two days, drinking the green juice in the morning gave me a beneficial energy boost before school, but I felt no other physical results. As I drank every morning, I noticed that it had more of a mental effect on me than a physical one.

By incorporating this new step into my morning routine, it increased my productivity; just the act of accomplishing a task that was supposed to improve my health motivated me for the day. Making and drinking this juice was just another aspect of my morning to look forward to.

Overall, based on my week-long trial, I think that purchasing this product would not be useful if you’re looking for long-term health results, but it is another reason to get up in the morning and start your day. I do not regret trying this and will continue using it every day, and I think that it is worth a try.

ew cleanses, detoxes and diets are always trending, with everyone swearing the new product changed their life. There are millions of products out there that are marketed as healthy, but what is truly beneficial to someone's well-being and not just a false advertisement from a paid actor?

A popular product marketed as “lifechanging” is the Bloom Nutrition Greens and Superfoods powder. It is a supplement consisting of probiotics and nutrients that supposedly provide digestive, immune and energy support. Bloom Greens has been talked about non-stop on social media, so I decided to try the product myself.

I bought the mango-flavored powder and stirred it into a cup with water every morning for seven days; I doubted the results were going to be miraculous, but I expected to see some change in return for the $40 I paid.

When I first drank the juice, I thought it was going to be bitter, but it actually had a sweet flavor. Other than its refreshing taste,

The Phenomenal Berlin Philharmonic

By Jacob Lewis When most people think of a night at the symphony, they picture stuffy crowds of stately attendees in dignified attire, lengthy works composed by long-dead Europeans and an environment where so much as a cough provokes dirty looks.

Although I love classical music, a change to this traditional environment can be a breath of fresh air. At the Berlin Philharmonic’s performance in Boston, such a change occurred — one that had a much deeper impact on me than I could have ever predicted.

After his performance of the 20-minute concerto, violinist Noah Bendix-Balgley, the concertmaster of the orchestra and soloist on the Mozart piece, received thunderous applause as he walked back out onstage for an encore.

The majority of the time, violinists choose from a very specific repertoire for their encores, so it is often easy to guess what they will play. Instead, BendixBalgley announced he was going to play some Klezmer, which is improvisatory Jewish music. I was stunned.

Although Bendix-Balgley’s love of Klezmer is well known — he even wrote an entire Klezmer concerto for violin — I never expected he would play it as an encore. Upon contact with the string, his bow drew out some of the most beautiful Klezmer I have ever heard — his improvisatory slides, articulations and quarter tones between notes sounded like weeping.

Before long, he began stomping his foot on the ground and shouting out Yiddish phrases to the audience as he played.

I had never seen such an encore at the symphony before.

Bendix-Balgley’s decision to play Klezmer was clearly deliberate. He broke tradition and created some unexpected, but real joy and excitement. I left wondering whether he chose Jewish music specifically to highlight and celebrate the progress that has been made over the past 80 years.

In the 1940s, a Jewish violinist standing in front of a German orchestra playing Jewish music would have been unthinkable. In 2022, it was a reality — a moment of triumph for Jewish culture. In a world full of bigotry and uncertainty, Bendix-Balgley brought his audience an important reminder of hope — that progress has been made, and there is still lots of joy we can gain from life.

Although it has been almost 80 years since the Nazis ruled Germany, my great-grandparents, Holocaust survivors who lost their entire families, would not have gone to see the Berlin Philharmonic if they were alive today. The painful memory of their tremendous loss would have been too great. However, if they had been there, they would have been incredibly moved to see the progress that has been made and proud to see a great Jewish artist making it happen.

page 10 | opinions

the lion's roar

CAMPUS

The Lion's Roar asked...

What’s your favorite study spot at South, and why?

CHATTER Ben Modiano class of '23

Dylan Yee class of '23

Zoe Hong class of '24

Bella Patel class of '25

The library is the best space to I like to study in SLIC, where the sci- My favorite study spot is Mr. Lee’s My favorite spot to study is the study because it is a very social ence classes are. All of my friends classroom because it’s such a chill cafeteria because it’s a great spot spot where people can study but are usually there, and it’s a great and welcoming environment. I can to work with friends. Plus there is quiet place to focus and hangout.

also talk.

photo by Irene Gonzalez de las Casas

photo by Melinda Yung

focus and hangout with friends.

photo by Emily Schwartz

direct access to food.

photo courtesy of Newton PTSO

Cinematic success stories of 2022 2022 was a prolific year for the film industry. The pandemic resulted in a twoyear rough patch for theaters, but this year’s comeback proved that going to the movies is still a worthy experience, no matter how big or small the outing is.

Among all of the large superhero blockbusters, a number of movies managed to astonish audiences around the world with gorgeous cinematography and compelling storylines. Movies like“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” continued to highlight our culture’s hunger for superhero films, but by far the most enthralling and authentic superhero film of the year was DC’s “The Batman.”

With its gripping, noir-esque detective story, “The Batman” is a film addictive in its own right. Coming off of projects like “The Lighthouse” and “Good Time,” Robert Pattinson proved to be a good choice for the titular protagonist.

Alongside Pattinson, the incredible score from Michael Giacchino hits contrasting hopeful and dark notes just right for the film’s tone.

The film is an enthralling and original superhero film that definitely makes its way

to the top of this year’s list.

Another 2022 movie worth mentioning is the propulsive “RRR” — a three-hour thrill of non-stop Bollywood entertainment.

“RRR” is a wonderful combination of all the genres one could possibly need. The film follows two legends from distant worlds as they cross paths to fight British colonists during the mid 1920s.

The historical setting could come across as slightly dull, but the history is just the tip of the iceberg, as the movie has a much wider scope than that. It also has catchy music and great choreography. It is impossible to peel your eyes away from the screen until its final moment. Indeed, it is a great installation to 2022’s film canon.

Yet it is “Everything Everywhere All at Once” that takes the crown for 2022’s best movie. The dramatic science fiction comedy film proves concise and poignant, with equal doses of horror, zany comedy and familial drama.

Production company A24 manages to avoid the often illogical and pretentious tone of myriad multiversal movies, and the film assumes its place among the remarkable installations in the Spider-Man-dominated

multiverse genre. Behind all of those features are exceptional performances from the ensemble cast.

Michelle Yeoh shines as Evelyn Wang, showcasing her incredible emotional rage, comedic timing and martial arts skills — a performance worthy of an Oscar. Ke Huy Quan as Waymond Wang, Evelyn’s husband, gives another empathetic performance, also award-worthy.

As said, 2022 was undeniably a great year for film. The year was the rebound we all dreamed of, in which we finally experienced the excitement and thrill of returning to watch a new film in theaters.

While there are certainly great movies on streaming sites, theater experiences bring audiences together and with literally all-encompassing views, viewers experience the unforgettable.

If the many outstanding films released this year are any indication of the year ahead, movie-lovers can undoubtedly anticipate what’s coming in 2023.

All we can hope for are more “The Batman”s,“RRR”s or“Everything Everywhere All at Once”’s — captivating films that are ultimately mind-blowing experiences.

photos provided by IMDB

By Danny Diamond and Noa Levy

opinions | page 11

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An Introvert's Guide to Surviving the Holidays

By Victoria Li, Ava Ransbotham and Angela Tao “What college are you going to? Do you have a boyfriend? A girlfriend? Your grades are good, right? Are you a vegetable lover now?”

Relatives’ faces blur together as questions come faster than you can process the words.

With the arrival of the holiday season (and endless family gatherings), now really feels like a bad time to be an introvert. But don’t worry!

Whether you’re hosting or visiting, we have

For many of us introverts, small talk is not our strong suit, and the prospect of filling an entire dinner with sparkling conversation can feel daunting. some tips and tricks to help you prepare for these lively events.

Your family won’t be crashing your house forever. We promise. Take advantage of breaks — just because they’re your family and they only come once a year doesn’t mean you owe them every second of your time.

For many of us introverts, small talk is not our strong suit, and the prospect of filling an entire dinner with sparkling conversation can feel daunting. The best way to handle the pressure is to shift the conversation onto the other person. Shockingly, other people actually like to talk. Hard to believe, we know. Ask them a few questions to get them rambling about that one time with Joe back in ‘79, and you can nod and smile your way through the entire dinner.

For conversation starters, instead of asking “Do you like this?” try “How do you like this?” You’ll shift the weight of the conversation onto them.

On the flip side, don’t be afraid to give

longer responses. Your family members probably don’t feel that same looming sense of awkwardness. When they ask a question, they aren’t just filling the silence — they care about your response. They want to get to know you, for you. Be yourself! When you share details (think interests, hobbies), the conversation erupts.

If the thought of speaking more than absolutely necessary scares you, that’s okay! To avoid excess conversation, don’t leave any loose threads in your answers that your relatives can pull on. Be quick, either with little detail or including everything in one go.

Now, what if the party is already in session? Find something to do! Keeping busy is the most basic way to avoid awkwardness.

If you don’t want to interact with others all that much, read a book or engage in an otherwise quiet activity in a less busy area of the house. Be careful with the phone! Try to stay away from electronics for the most part, as they can make you seem disengaged from the group.

Now, what if you’re ready to take the leap and branch out a bit more? If you’d like to participate in an activity with other people, try a family-friendly movie or offer to help with tedious tasks such as cleaning and cooking (favorite grandchild points are like gold, people). Board games or charades are also perfect: you can be part of the group without having to contribute much verbally (except for shouting random words, of course).

Of course, your social battery will eventually run out. When this happens, scope out a quiet spot to retreat when you’re getting overwhelmed. Hallways on the edges of the social hotspot are cool, or even your room if the party’s at your house.

If you’re worried you’ll offend people with your disappearance, let your parents know you need a little break. They can cover for you in a way even extended family can understand. Pull out a book or put in some headphones and listen to what you need before going back into the frenzy.

Before you know it, it’s dinner time! But what if you don’t understand the etiquette or the cuisine? This may be unnerving, as etiquette can be drastically different based on culture.

Elbows on the table? Talking while others are eating? Where to put the napkin? Which fork or spoon is used first? And don’t even get us started on chopsticks. But don’t be frightened — what is important is to be observant.

Look around the table; see what other members of your family are doing. And of course, if you’re lucky, and your host has sat you next to a close family member of yours, you can always ask for a little help. Asking may feel a bit embarrassing in an unfamiliar environment, but trust us, it’s better than the embarrassment of messing up.

You made it through dinner! Everyone is stuffed and relaxing on the couch. However appealing, try not to slump onto the couch in a turkey-infused coma, though; make sure to maintain your polite stat- ure to set your image as the quiet but

amiable party kid you are.

It’s the end of the night, and everyone is leaving (finally). Of course, you have to send everyone out with the appropriate goodbye.

We all know how awkward it is to stand by the door while your parents are chatting the guests away, but think positively. We promise you’re not the only one who feels awkward.

When you ultimately begin to hear“Well, it’s about time…” or “My goodness, look how late it’s gotten!” your brain will naturally bring itself back into the moment, just in time to say a proper goodbye, which takes little mental energy. Just space out and keep a small smile on your face — you’re almost there! Hug when hugged, wave when waved at, throw in some “Thank yous” and “It was so nice to see yous” for good measure.

Finally, the last of your relatives have been waved out of the door. Congratulations! You’ve survived (hopefully unscathed!) an extended family visit as an introvert.

graphic by Emily Cheng

Each issue, the Roar releases a column on the college application process anonymously written by a current senior.

By Anonymous I don’t know when the “college process” really began. The name itself is ominous, bringing to mind the classic images of drawn-out applications and months of waiting. But as the light at the end of the tunnel approaches, I’ve begun to realize that I’ve only ever seen this so-called process as something for the future.

Now, that future is here.

For however long college has sat in my mind, though, it wasn’t until fairly close to the early action deadline in early November that I decided where to apply.

There are some schools, like Boston University or Northeastern or UMass Amherst, that I never really questioned, but that also never particularly drew me in with anything beyond their nearby presence and large yield from South. Only after some preliminary research, I opted, maybe on a whim, to apply to Harvard under its restrictive early action plan.

As of writing, my decision comes out the day before this article’s print date.

I’m not exactly sure why I applied to Harvard. It has things that I like, from incredible research opportunities to enormous flexibility

in course load and concentration, but I don’t know if I’ll commit should I somehow manage to get in.

For all its benefits, nothing about the school necessarily jumps out at me enough to warrant an instant commitment.

Going into this application process, I thought that this kind of mindset — that no matter the admissions decision, I don’t owe any college my commitment — would prevent me from falling into the same trap of competitiveness and inflexibility that drives so much of the toxic environment fostered at South around

Who's to say that a legacy who gets in worked just as hard, is just as smart or has the same qualifications as someone without that boost?

admission to prestigious schools.

I think, on some level, that philosophy has worked out; I haven’t found myself developing anything close to a ‘dream school’.

But as deadlines approach and applications whittle down, I’ve realized that the issue isn’t just South’s environment; it’s how uneven the odds are within it.

There’s a common perception that the primary competition for spots in a college class is within your high school — that you don’t have to be the best in the world, so long as you’re better than the people in your hallways.

Is this true? I have no idea, but it’s an easy enough narrative to believe.

And yet, its apparent simplicity — that it’s the best, the most qualified, the most deserving students who get in — betrays the truth lurking beneath, and the truth that I’ve come to realize as my applications wrap up is that it’s not the best who wins.

Think about it. For all of the enrichment that South offers, external factors like socioeconomic circumstances, parental education and private sports that cost hundreds of thousands

to pursue, to name just a few, play just as large, if not larger, roles in admissions.

Take legacy status: no matter how hard you work, whether a parent or grandparent attended the school you're applying to incredibly increases your odds. Harvard’s legacy admission rate, six times its overall rate, is evidence enough.

Who’s to say that a legacy who gets in worked just as hard, is just as smart or has the same qualifications as someone without that boost?

And this plays into the biggest question I’ve encountered throughout the college process: who deserves to get in?

The answer is simple: it depends.

But to act as if all admissions are the same — as if the double legacy’s success is somehow equal to that of the first-generation student, or that the public school basketball player deserves the same chances at recruitment as the fencer or rower, who could afford the enormous costs of competition — ignores the inequality present, and just how much so many at South capitalize upon it.

Admission doesn’t mean qualification.

page 12 | centerfold

the lion's roar

Changemakers Gen Z steps onto the national stage after midterm elections and paves the way for future youth engagement

By Bella Ishanyan and Matan Josephy Photos by Bella Ishanyan

A

s an eighth grader in 2008, current long-term history substitute Elise Brown watched in awe as millions of young voters carried Barack Obama to victory to become the fifth youngest president elected in U.S. history.

At that moment, they realized that it was possible for young people to hold prominence within government, so after middle school, they got involved: volunteering for campaigns and nonprofits, spreading information on key issues throughout their community and expanding their interest and investment in national and community politics.

Brown became a teacher after college, and hopes to further incorporate their passion for civic engagement and politics into the classroom and mold the new generation into active and conscientious citizens.

“I grew up in a suburb of Portland, Oregon,” they said.“I saw among community organizers, even among state legislators, this drive of ‘change is real, hope is real.’ You need the practical idealism of young people to make that possible.”

Although older generations have historically dominated politics, young people fueled by frustration at slow political processes and confidence in their own political power have begun finding their voices, both nationally and within their own communities.

A Dying Gerontocracy The American electorate has only gotten younger over time: in 2020, the Pew Research Center found that the millennial generation born in the 1980s and 1990s now outnumbers the Baby Boomers born in the mid-1940s to 1960s, and as more members of Generation Z enter adulthood, the electorate is increasingly filled with younger and younger voters.

Still, history and comparative government teacher Jamie Rinaldi said, the bulk of political power remains concentrated in the hands of senior citizens.

“One odd thing that I've noticed about our political leadership in this country is that it's getting older and older and older; in political science, we call it a gerontocracy [a government of senior citizens]” he said. “We've gone in a direction where very old people have a monopoly of political power in this country.”

Within the last 10 years, Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden set records as the oldest elected presidents; Trump entered office at age 70, followed by Biden at 78. The landscape of Congressional leadership is similar: Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is 82, while Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is 72.

For the sitting 117th Congress, according to additional research by the Pew Research Center, the median age of senators is 64.8, while the median member of the House is slightly younger, at 58.9 years old.

However, the 2022 midterm elections proved to be a turning point for young people in national politics. In Florida's 10th Congressional District, Maxwell Alejandro Frost became the first member of Generation Z to be elected to Congress, at age 25.

Estimates from the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts University found that approximately 27% of voters between the ages of 18-29 voted in the midterm election this year, the second highest voter turnout among voters under 30 in the past three decades.

While midterm election results typically hurt the political party of the sitting president, Republican gains were dampened this cycle. Republicans took a weaker control of the House of Representatives than expected, and Democrats expanded their majority in the Senate.

Brown said that young voters helped to reverse this norm.

“They saved our democracy,” they said. “It's common wisdom that during a midterm election, the President's party gets a backslide in popularity, [but] the fact that there were so many states with these fringe MAGA [Make America Great

Brown sits and glances at the American flag in Rm. 2309 Again] candidates that got beat, and the fact that [the backslide] didn't happen to the extent it usually does, speaks to the power that Gen Z voters know that they have.”

Obstacles to Involvement Recent events, history teacher Zakarias Gomes said, have led more members of Gen Z to take an interest in civics.

The Capitol insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021 offered young voters a place to start.

“This is a nation whose democracy has been threatened, and it's something that people want to voice their opinions on,” he said. “The Jan. 6 insurrection is one of the things that many people and younger people saw as a visible threat to the democracy of our nation.”

Research from the Harvard Kennedy School’s Spring 2021 Youth Poll indicates that since the election of Barack Obama, young Americans have become significantly more likely to be politically engaged.

This trend, Rinaldi said, stems mainly from Gen Z’s greater exposure to national and global crises and insecurities, which in turn fuel a greater sense of urgency toward participation in government.

“Too many people in my age group inherited this idea that government just works,” he said. “[Gen Z] has inherited the idea that the government only works if people are active and participate. [Gen Z has] been witness to incidents of mass violence, police killings, a sense of economic uncertainty and the prospect of global war. These were things that were largely either absent or invisible in the 1990s, so your consciousness as a generation is very different from mine. That positions you better to be more active in politics.”

However, the sheer amount of exposure to bad news has also pushed students away from maintaining a sense of political awareness. Senior Jessica Li said that she used to be more up-to-date with current events, but removed herself because of the negative repercussions she felt from constant exposure to negative coverage.

“I used to be far more in touch with politics at some

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centerfold | page 13

As we're heading into adulthood … we do have to think about what kind of future we want, what we want our country to look like and what it is we want our home to feel like.

Alyssa Xia class of '26

Left to right: Fine outside Planned Parenthood in Boston; Rinaldi looking scholarly on the 1000s stairs point during the pandemic, [but] I found it very overwhelming and stressful to continue to keep up with,” she said. “There was a point a couple of years ago … where it became a lot to tune into the news.”

Li also said that a lack of outcome produced by local civic groups pushed her away from participating more within the community.

“I used to volunteer at a couple of different local organizations … But a lot of times the most passionate people about a certain topic or mission are not the most educated or prepared to be leaders in this type of arena,” she said. “If the leaders don't know what they're doing, then the organization can't function and nothing ends up getting done. I put in a lot of hours to a couple of different organizations and basically nothing got done, [which] was just very frustrating.”

Members of Gen Z see similarly discouraging signs within the broader structure of government as well. In the Harvard Kennedy School’s poll, over 40% of young people agreed that “their vote doesn’t make a difference,” more than 1 in 3 believed that “political involvement rarely has tangible results,” and 56%

agreed that “politics today are no longer able to meet the challenges our country is facing.”

Newton’s city government is not free from such a trend.

Junior Nathaniel Scharf said that as part of the School Council, he has tried to work with staff members and local leaders on improving particular aspects of South, but has found his work slowed down by bureaucratic processes and a perceived disinterest from adults.

“I know a lot about the city, but I don't feel very engaged with it because they're very unreceptive to changing anything, even if it's clearly a positive change,” he said. “Anytime you really want to change something at school, we have to pass it by the School Committee, and they just never want to do it. They always have a reason not to do it.”

A Healthy Democracy To senior Dan Bahar, voting felt like a minute contribution to a far-off democratic process, and an activity meant more for

weary adults than teenagers. Until he became eligible to vote, Bahar never had much interest in politics, voting or current events. However, just this year, his perspective shifted even if voting may have a negligible effect on his day-to-day life, he said, its greater impact made going to the polls worth it.

“From 9th to 11th grade, I ignored all of the elections and voting because I wasn't allowed to vote,” Bahar said. “Voting doesn't affect me nearly as much as it affects other people because I'm a white male. However, [the voices of ] other people who cannot vote matters, and I'm voting for them.”

In order for a democracy to function properly and all voices to be heard, young people must participate in government, history department head Jennifer Morrill said.

“We live in a democracy and our democracy relies on people understanding what's happening and participating,” she said. “If people don't participate in our government, our government won’t function properly, and so you want young people to see themselves as having a role in government. It's encouraged for all people.”

History teacher Michael Kozuch said the power lies in local politics.

“Being engaged in your community, your state and your nation is not just about voting, it's about the everyday ways in which we think about … issues that make a difference in your life,” he said.

“The mistake that many people make is that [they believe that] presidential elections are the things that matter. Yes, they matter, but if we think about what actually impacts people on a daily basis, it's often city government and the kinds of things that are being done at that level.”

Even before reaching voting age, many students at South have found ways to get involved in their community. Senior Sasha Fine said that her family’s connection to political involvement inspired her to get involved as well.

“I have been volunteering for grassroots [organizations] and have been just really involved in politics since I was nine with my mom,” she said.“My mom is involved in politics; I definitely got [my] interest from her … she taught me a lot about politics and how to make an impact when I couldn't vote.”

On the other hand, freshman Alyssa Xia said her family’s lack of connection within the community motivated her to become interested in politics. By staying informed, she can improve their connection.

“My parents are immigrants, [and] in China, everybody minds their own business, but in the U.S. because there's local stuff, they never learned how to stay connected,” she said.“Even though my family might not feel like a part of the community, I definitely want to make sure that I feel like a part of one, and maybe someday I can help them feel like a part of one.”

When young people are more engaged, they can see themselves as politicians, which only motivates them to become more involved, Li said. A positive feedback loop ensues.

“Having more young people in politics in general would encourage a lot of people our age to engage more because then it's actually impacting our futures instead of people who just got voted in and are going to die within like five years,” she said.

Ultimately, Xia said, getting, and staying, involved lets young people make the world one they wish to see.

“Everybody is fighting for what they believe is the best for them or for their family or whoever they need to protect,” she said. “As we're heading into adulthood … we do have to think about what kind of future we want, what we want our country to look like and what it is we want our home to feel like.”

page 14 | jump

s

o H l i d py p a y a H

the lion's roar

from The Lion's Roar Snapshots from The Roar's trip to St. Louis, MO

Between Nov. 9-13, The Roar, along with two other South publications, attended the National Scholastic Press Association's annual conference.

Our paper was awarded 4th Place Best in Show!

Congratulations to centerfold editors Bella Ishanyan and Matan Josephy, who were awarded an honorable mention for News Story of the Year!

Huge congrats to graphics manager Julie Wang and former centerfold editors Ahona Dam and Julian Phillips for winning fifth place for Newsmagazine Page/Spread Design of the Year!

page 15

December 16, 2022

FEATURES issuu.com/thelionsroar

Volume 39, Issue 5

(Singin' in the Snow )

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A

s the last school day before winter break arrives, the hallways are buzzing with excitement. While class officers pass out countless candy grams and Secret Santa exchanges fill the classrooms, all of South’s choirs join in on the action, traveling around the school caroling.

Chorus teacher Ben Youngman said that caroling before winter break is a long-held South tradition.

“As far as I know, it started the very first year in 1960,” he said. “[We] would have all of the choirs singing and then all of the alumni singing and hundreds of people walking through the halls.”

Senior Violet Lanciloti is one of the leaders of Festival Singers, a student-led, community service choir colloquially known as “Festies.” She said that South’s tradition brings the caroling community together.

“The alumni often come back, so it’s nice to see people whom I haven’t seen in a while and also to just go around the school and sing, because I love to sing,” she said.

Festies also travels to senior living facilities to sing for the residents. Freshman David Rosemberg sings in Vocal Ensemble and Festies, and he said he loves the group for both the people and their mission.

“Festies [is made of ] people who really choose to devote their time, and we go to places where we think we can help,” he said.

Newton residents participate in holiday caroling

By Forest Lanciloti and Rohan Sita This will be the first time many choirs return to caroling since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic. Sarah Hayward, a junior in South’s acapella group Newtones, said that the pandemic made singing difficult.

“COVID kind of turned our world upside down,” she said. “[Newtones] took a lot of precautions like sitting six-feet apart [and] we couldn’t sing inside, which affects the acoustics, so it was harder to hear each other and blend and do that traditional acapella sound. It was still a bunch of fun, but it’s a lot better now.”

Lanciloti said that technical aspects aside, she is just happy to be caroling again.

"COVID made it so that [Festies] didn’t really meet as often, and it also prevented us from singing at senior living facilities for about two years,” she said. “We are very happy to be bringing it back this year."

In addition to caroling at South, Newtones carols door-to-door and at events like Christmas parties. Hayward said that caroling not only profoundly impacts the singers, but also those who are enjoying the music.

“It just brings some light to your day, especially if you’re having a tough day, or you’re lonely around the holiday season, or you’re not getting to see your loved ones. It’s a really nice reminder that there’s still so much to be happy about,” she said.

Newton isn’t the only place in the Greater Boston community that carols. Leigh Larkin

teaches music at Woodland School, an elementary school in Weston, and she has caroled for her whole life. She said that caroling with her mother and their church youth group at a nursing home as a child remains an impactful memory. “[I remember] seeing my mom after [caroling in] one of the person’s rooms, and she started crying,”she said.“I think [she] was thinking about her future, and how someday she might be in a nursing home, and what a nice thing it is that we’re doing this for people.”

Hayward said that in addition to creating space for memories, caroling can help strengthen relationships.

"I think it brings us closer as a group because sometimes, caroling can be kind of grueling in itself, the way you’re just standing outside in the cold and it’s snowy and gross … but it’s really fun getting to spend the whole day together and making a lot of memories," she said.

Youngman’s favorite carol is rooted in his childhood and family, he said.

“I’m partial to ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem,’ because it was one of those songs that my father loved, and my father loved it because his father loved it, and it would make my grandfather cry when we sang it,” he said.“[Good carols] are the ones that evoke memories and family.”

Larkin said that she enjoys sharing the art of caroling with people of all ages.

“Last year, I went to this winter fest and there was a high school group that was caroling,

4 44

and it was really fun to see them singing,” she said. “My kids loved it, and I think it’s for all ages … It’s fun, and everyone appreciates it.”

Ultimately, caroling is a celebration of winter regardless of culture or religion, freshman Clare Cho, a member of Vocal Ensemble and Festies, said. “[Caroling is] inclusive because a lot of people just think of Christmas when it comes to winter, but there can also be Hanukkah and [other] winter songs,” she said.“To make a good carol, you have to think about winter spirit in general, and not just a specific part of it.”

[Caroling] just brings some light to your day, especially if you're having a tough day, or you're lonely around the holiday season . . . It’s a really nice reminder that there’s still so much to be happy about".

Sarah Hayward class of '24 graphics by Mans Greback and Suthi Srisopha

photo contributed by Clare Cho

photo contributed by Violet Lanciloti

South's vocal ensemble, led by Ben Youngman, rehearses for a caroling performance.

Festival Singers ("Festies") performs at a chorus concert in the Seasholes Auditorium.

page 16 | features

the lion's roar

1 in 2000: Matthew Wilson, "A charismatic presence" Molly Johnson Features Editor

No matter the temperature outside, he can be found roaming the halls in flip-flops and the occasional dinosaur costume or in room 2306, teaching ninth grade English and the senior elective Asian and Asian American Literature. Well known for his costumes, humor and energy, English teacher Matthew Wilson is beloved by both students and teachers.

With prior experience in law and personal training, Wilson’s professional background provides a unique perspective to his teaching style, English department head Brian Baron said.

“He started doing this later than most of us did,” he said.“He’s lived a whole life before he

"He's is able to understand what students are going through. He's able to have that understanding and apply it to his class and make it more enjoyable and easier for students."

Isaac Chan class of '23

became a teacher, which I think is really helpful.”

Ultimately, Wilson’s love for the classroom environment led him to become a teacher, he said.

“It's a lot of fun. The moment that you see the light bulb go off on top of a kid's head is one of the best moments ever,” he said. “For me, watching my students as a whole grow from September to June is just an amazing process.”

School adjustment counselor Sarah Gentile said that Wilson’s passion for teaching is inspiring.

“Mr. Wilson is an exemplar of really holistic, supportive teaching. He makes time for all students and he puts in 110 percent,” she said. “The best thing about working with him is just the energy and passion he brings to his craft. It makes me want to bring more energy to my own work.”

For his fourth year at South, Wilson is teaching Asian American Literature, a course he started in 2018 to improve Asian and Asian American representation in English classes.

“I wanted to make sure that, in a school where almost 25% of the kids identify as either Asian or Asian American on some level, I wanted them to be able to see themselves in the stories that we read, to see themselves as the heroes,” Wilson said.

Isaac Chan, a senior in Wilson’s Asian and Asian American Lit class, said that he is grateful for Wilson’s teaching style, which balances fun with a deep care and understanding for his students.

“On a personal level, we connect a lot, and he is able to understand what students are going through. He's able to have that understanding and apply it to his class and make it more en-

joyable and easier for the students,” Chan said.

Wilson is deeply committed to his students, English teacher Jenny Robertson said.

She has worked with him for the past six years.

“Nothing really makes him angry. He’s a very chill dude,” she said.“But he cares so deeply.”

He brings this dedication to every class, freshman Sophiya Jacobs said.

“He’s a very fun teacher,” they said. “And he makes sure that you know what you’re doing.”

Baron said that Wilson’s aura transcends classroom walls.

“He’s a wonderful person,” he said.“He's an all around good-hearted, empathetic, charismatic presence.”

Gentile, too, said she appreciates Wilson’s supportive and humorous contributions to the South community.

“I love his humor and his costumes and the sense of community that he builds in every class that he teaches,” she said. “He brings a sense of true acceptance and true validation and he really wants each of us to shine in our own authentic light.”

Chan’s favorite costume of Wilson’s is Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Street.

“He wears costumes every spirit,” Chan said.“He wore an Oscar outfit one of the times, and every time he moved, he would jiggle up and down. It was really funny.”

Through all of his experience in teaching, Wilson said that ultimately he hopes to support his students’ mental health.

“I would I hope that my biggest contribution is that I've lowered the stress level that my students have experienced,” he said, “On a more silly note, I would hope that people will just remember the costumes.”

“Mr. Wilson is an exemplar of really holistic, supportive teaching.

He makes time for all students and he puts in 110 percent.”

Sarah Gentile special education counselor

photo by Maureen Caulfield

South artists fill the halls with joy during Passin' Time Molly Johnson & Ethan Peller Features Editor, Features Reporter

First envisioned by photography teacher Bob Bouchal as a time for both students and teachers to roam the halls and enjoy live music, Passin’ Time has come a long way since its creation.

Now, English teacher Alan Reinstein manages the tradition, which occurs one Lion or WIN block per term to provide a much needed in-school break to the South community.

Passin’ Time’s inclusive nature gives South’s bands a unique opportunity to perform in front of a live audience, Reinstein said “It’s a great way for bands and performers to get low-stakes performance practice,” he said.

At a Passin’Time in May, indie rock band Nervous Girls performed for their first time ever. Senior and bassist Hannah Namini said that Passin’ Time has been an easy way for her band to get experience in front of a live audience.

“If you mess up, it’s whatever. But it’s

still good to perform in front of an audience,” she said.

Freshman flutist Eli Scharf first performed at Passin’ Time in November. Though he’s played flute for six years, he said that at first, performing publicly was daunting.

“I love creating music and if I can share what I practice and what I create with other people, I think that's fun,” Scharf said. “I felt that more than the nerves of having everyone see me.”

Sophomore and guitarist Ezekiel Deveaux-Turner plays in a jazz rock band with freshmen Bennett Frost and Yasen Dimitrov.

He said he participates in Passin’ Time to both experience performing publicly and to advertise his band.

“I want to expand my talent, get in front of stages, get used to that since I'm probably going to do it a lot more,” he said.

Frost, a drummer in the band, said that the opportunity to perform lets him share his personality with the school community.

photo contributed by Eva Shimkus

"Nervous Girls" band performs in Wheeler House on Oct. 19 Passin' Time.

“I just love seeing my students in that context, seeing how even if they may be quiet in class, they're very loud when they get on the mic and you see different sides of their personalities."

David Weintraub English teacher

“[Passin’ Time] gives you a chance to show people what you're passionate about, what you love to do,” he said.

Freshman vocalist David Rosemberg said that he hopes Passin’ Time will help him meet people in the South community.

“Getting people to know me as someone who sings is more than having to go up to them.

“I’m just excited to see people,” he said.

Music serves as a form of stress relief for Rosemberg, and Passin’ Time has given him a chance to share that with his classmates.

“Sometimes school gets tough and stressful, and I feel like singing and writing songs is sort of a way to put my own emotions into words,” he said.

English teacher David Weintraub regularly performs on the drums and guitar at Passin’ Time, in a band with other teachers. He said he enjoys being an audience member, too.

“I just love seeing my students in that

context, seeing how even if they may be quiet in class, they're very loud when they get on the mic and you see different sides of their personalities,” he said. “[Passin’ Time] brings a lot of creativity and joy into the halls.”

Similarly, Namini said she enjoys seeing the variety in others’ acts.

“I remember a teacher a few years ago had brought in their own, traditional instruments, and it was really cool,” she said.

Rosemberg said that part of the importance of sharing music is the challenge for musicians to step out of their comfort zones.

“Maybe [Passin’ Time] was created to give a voice to the people who wanted to share their own music but were too scared or didn't find the right opportunity,” he said.

Weintraub said he likes how Passin’Time is unique to South.

“What other school can you have abstract, noisy, synthesizer improvisations with psychedelic backing between math and history class?” he said. “[Passin’ Time] is so quirky and distinctive and just brings a lot of creativity and joy into the halls.”

“[Passin’ Time] gives you a chance to show people what you're passionate about, what you love to do."

Bennett Frost class of '26

issuu.com/thelionsroar

features | page 17

Setting the Stage '11 graduate Jeffrey Alkins now acts professionally in New York City

By Sanjana Deshpande, Andrew Lindsay, Sofia Telio and Theo Younkin

F

rom late nights rehearsing for South’s 2011 production of “Hairspray” to starring in “Richard III” at New York City’s SoHo Shakespeare Community, ‘11 graduate Jeffrey Alkins has always had a passion for theater.

A three-season athlete and three-season captain as a senior, Alkins did not expect to get involved with South’s theater department.

When he “officially” joined South Stage his senior year, he starred in “Hairspray” and acted in the Senior Showcase.

He went on to attend St. John’s University and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, where he discovered his love for theater.

Still, Alkins said he was uncertain about pursuing theater as a full-time career. Once he decided though, he went all in.

“While I was in college, I fell in love with theater, and the reality is if you are trying to make a living doing live theater, Broadway is where you want to be,” he said. “So 2015 was when I settled in and decided that live theater is what I wanted to do, and if I wanted to do it, I'd want to do it on the biggest stage I can.”

Alkins said that his parents were not always on board with the idea, but he now considers them his biggest supporters.

“I think [it] came from fear. To try and be an actor in New York City is a very daunting thing. I had a very nice life set up in politics before I decided to become an actor, and so I

think that their concern was whether or not I was going to be able to make a living or if I was going to be okay,” he said.

“But now apparently there's a copy of my ‘Hairspray’ DVD circulating that my dad is still showing people, and my parents are easily my biggest supporters and biggest fans.”

Katani Sumner, Alkins’ METCO counselor during his time at South, still attends his performances. She said that despite Alkins’ late start to theater, it’s been incredible to see him grow as an actor.

“He's just amazing. I'm just so excited that I've been watching him ever since,” she said.“I expect to see him get big — whether it's Broadway or if he wants to do classical theater in London,. I'm convinced he will get there.”

Fine and performing arts department head Jeff Knoedler said that Alkins has been a natural since he first stepped foot on the stage.

“I remember his first South Stage production,‘Hairspray,’” he said.“He seemed really comfortable on stage, confident and natural.”

As one of few people of color involved in South Stage, Alkins said he rarely felt excluded.

He made some of his closest friends through the theater department.

“South Stage was very inclusive,” he said.

“It was actually one of the first places where I felt like I really fit in and belonged. I used to hang out in Mr. K's office and hang out with a bunch of kids who were in South Stage, even

[when] I was not ... and so they were a lot of my friend group.”

Still, Alkins said that he struggled with some aspects of being the only Black male within the theater department, especially when it came to balancing his responsibilities between indoor track and theater.

“The most difficult part of being a part of South Stage was that my introduction into it was not clean and easy,” he said.“In my senior year, I was kind of given the ultimatum to step down as captain or quit the musical. And being something like ‘Hairspray’ where diversity was needed, being one of the only Black males in school who did act and sing and dance, I knew that quitting was going to put the show in a difficult position. Having to choose between doing this thing that could be wonderful, while also giving us something that I had spent my entire life working towards, was very difficult.”

To young actors, Alkins said to remember that as long as you have passion for your craft, the benefits of following your dreams will always outweigh the negatives.

“If you can do anything else in the world [besides acting] and be happy, do that, because it is not something for the faint of heart,” he said.

“It is not an easy career by any means, so I always also like to pair that with my worst days as an actor are better than my best days doing anything else in the world. I quite literally get paid to live my dreams every single day.”

Alkins performing in "Richard III" with SoHo Shakespeare Community, 2022

Alkins performing in "A Midsummer's Night Dream" with The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, 2021 photos contributed by Jeffrey Alkins

Core Values Alan Reinstein

On Antisemitism Recently, rapper Kanye West was suspended from Twitter for tweeting an image of a swastika — on the same day that he appeared on a podcast and said,“I like Hitler.”

This followed a tweet in early October in which he wrote that he was “going death con 3 ON JEWISH PEOPLE.” In October, professional basketball star Kyrie Irving tweeted his support for a 2018 movie called “Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America,” which includes claims of Holocaust denial and of an international Jewish conspiracy, the belief that Jews throughout the world, although making up only 0.2% of the world population, have developed a powerful circle of influence that veers towards world domination.

As a Jew, I’m intrigued by two elements of what seems like an expanding freedom to speak out against the Jewish community. First, this is a reminder to many American Jews that no matter how much at home we feel within the American community, we still subconsciously see ourselves as outsiders, never completely safe among our non-Jewish neighbors. To many people who are not Jewish,this insecurity seems groundless (and there may be Jews reading this for whom this statement is foreign), but a long history of being excluded and feeling unwelcome can engender skittishness about one’s home that may never fully subside.

That’s what I think is at the heart of concerns about recent statements from popular entertainers that seem to give liberty to antipathy toward Jews. Seen as hypersensitivity by some, the fear that not fitting in will lead to discrimination or even expulsion is deeply a part of the Jewish psyche, something nonJewish people may not fully appreciate.

This leads to my second point of interest. Because this feeling of being an outsider binds me in sympathy with other marginalized groups, my white racial identity giving way to my Jewish one, the antisemitic statements from two prominent African American celebrities make me worry (even while acknowleging questions about Kanye West’s mental wellness) that perhaps other members of the Black community also don’t see Jews the way many of us see ourselves — as partners in the fight against a white supremacist ideology that threatens democratic and humanistic principles.

In addition, I think that those Jews who are also white, like me, may be forgetting that our whiteness is a significant feature of our American experience that offers us opportunities that are blocked to others. This may cause resentment from some people of color who hear white members of the Jewish community expressing solidarity with their struggles for social justice.

So where does this put us as a community of Newton South Lions? My message to people who aren’t Jewish: Be aware that many Jewish students and staff members beside you may feel their ancestral history of otherness and alienation deeply, even if they aren’t able to articulate it.

And to my white Jewish family members: we should acknowledge that our white racial identity is also a prominent feature of our place within the American community, a feature that may even dominate others’perceptions of us and separate us from BIPOC community members,even though we wish it didn’t.

page 18 | features

the lion's roar

Exchange in Scenery Argentine exchange students experience American culture for two weeks

graph ic by

Shutt ersto ck

By Eva Falkenstein and Emma Zhang

photo contributed by Anna Zeren

photo contributed by Anna Zeren

Exchange students and their hosts gather at Newton South before returning to San Rafael.

Anna Zeren, Pachi Celeste, Sofia Lavastrou and Ari Zeren pose with dog Ava before leaving.

S

eventeen Argentine students from the Colegio del Carmen School in San Rafael, Argentina arrived in Newton on Nov. 5th for a two-week exchange to improve their English, learn about the United States and make lifelong friends.

Their arrival marked the first year of the Argentina Spanish Language Exchange program, which had been set to begin in 2019 but was postponed for three years due to COVID-19.

World language department head Suzanne Murphy-Ferguson said that the program had been highly anticipated.

“It was initially just a contact with administrators and teachers. We began in the years prior to the pandemic with some remote connections. After three years of that, we were all set for an exchange,” she said. “We had increasingly escalating ways of getting students in contact with one another, and it finally came to fruition.”

In addition to encouraging student participation in the program, Spanish teacher Cynthia Manthei helped plan the exchange by meeting with Colegio del Carmen administrators to coordinate logistics. Manthei said that the students and faculty from both schools expressed immediate interest in the exchange.

“At Newton South, we have had many service trips in the [world] language department under the Spanish program, but we haven't really had any exchanges in my memory,” she said.

“They have them in the French program, and they have them at Newton North, so everybody was interested on both sides.”

Senior Anna Zeren hosted an Argentine student and said that the exchange program

gave her the opportunity to improve her knowledge on Argentine culture and language.

“I love Spanish and I really wanted to improve my Spanish, so that was one factor.

I also wanted to do this [visiting] program freshman year, but then it got canceled because of COVID-19,” she said. “It’s been a long time coming and I am really excited to get to know Argentine culture.”

Exchange student and rising senior Lauti Avila said that she decided to take advantage of the program to experience a new way of living and move outside of her comfort zone.

“I wanted to see another culture and different things from what I did every day in my house, and I liked that we had the opportunity to get closer to other people,” she said.

As part of the program, hosts spent as much time with their visiting students as possible to show them the different aspects of American life. Zeren said that she enjoyed sharing her hobbies and interests with her exchange student.

“I do gymnastics, so I showed them the gymnastics gym. I also am part of the Children of the Candy Corn improv group so they came to practice for that, and it was fun to show them my after-school activities,” she said.

Exchange students also visited famous locations in Massachusetts through group activities and trips Manthei helped to organize.

During the weekends, she said the students visited Boston, Cape Cod as well as several historical sites.

“The students toured MIT, Harvard, BU and parts of the Freedom Trail. They went to the play last Friday night, which was really fun.

We had a potluck and a marshmallow night.

We did a lot of fun activities together, plus they came to classes,” she said.

While the students enjoyed exploring the region, they understandably encountered many cultural shocks. Confronting these curiosities and preconceived perceptions is the basis for growth, Murphy-Ferguson said.

“It is so easy to have stereotypes about different people, and when you actually live through the culture of another person, you begin to understand more in the commonalities than in the beginning,” she said. “You need to walk through the rhythm of somebody else's life and to see the things that are surprising.”

Argentine senior Sofia Lavastrou said her biggest surprise was the difference in school structure.

“In America, you have to move classrooms, but in Argentina, we stay in the same classrooms, and the teachers are the ones that are moving. We start school at 7:30 a.m. and we finish at 1:30 p.m.,” she said.

Junior and host Lexi Cooke said she gained a new cultural perspective from the Argentine students.

“Their customs and their interactions seemed different at first, but that [didn’t] stop them from becoming really good friends with us,” she said. “Since they're different, we can actually learn a lot more from them. All of us ended up having a lot of fun sharing what was different about being in Argentina and what they did differently.”

Murphy Ferguson said that despite the language barriers, navigating a new place is a rewarding experience.

“I watched these kids return much more self-confident,” she said. “When you live

somewhere where you don't speak the language, you’re in a position where you have to [adapt] in order to get by and navigate the situation.”

Until April when South students are set to travel to Argentina, Cooke said that she will stay in touch with her exchange student to continue fostering their cross-cultural connections.

“We were very close while she was living here, and once she left it's harder to keep that connection, but I still definitely see us being really good friends in the future,” she said. “I'm glad that we've been keeping contact because that makes it so we actually gain something from it and have [global] connections.”

To many, the prospect of spending two weeks away from home in a country with a drastically different culture may be overwhelming, and Manthei said that she has seen incredible growth in student participants.

“One of the biggest moments was when a student turned to me and said, ‘I didn't think I would ever want to go to Argentina. I didn’t want to do this. My parents forced me. They pushed me, but now I can't believe how much I got out of this, and I am really excited to go to Argentina.’ That's what it is all about,” she said.

Murphy-Ferguson said that exposure to different cultures is an important part of being a global citizen, a value the world language department continues to emphasize.

“We provide opportunities for students to experience life outside of South and outside of our American culture not only to learn more about others, but also because you gain perspective when you can look back on yourself and your own culture,” she said. “It gives us the opportunity for much greater cultural understanding and access to the world.”

page 19

December 16, 2022

SPORTS issuu.com/thelionsroar

Volume 39, Issue 5

Jenks' Journey '20 graduate Lucy Jenks shines at Stanford University as she continues an impressive running career

By Hannah Leese and Sarah Schwartz photo contributed by Lucy Jenks

S

he ran a 63-second final 400 meters. And she was a junior in high school.

It’s the girls’ one-mile final of the 2019 Massachusetts High School Indoor Track State Championship, and Lucy Jenks, then a junior at South, is in the lead with Natick senior Grace Connolly closely in pursuit.

Jenks rounds the final bend with Connolly still right on her heels. In the final stretch, Jenks uses her lethal kick and pulls away to cross the line first.

Steven McChesney, the girls track and cross country coach, said he knew going into the last lap that Jenks had it.

“Grace has already made a tactical error, and she can’t match Lucy kick for kick,” he said.

“Her last 400 is like ‘wow.’ It’s just amazing.”

Jenks and Connolly often competed head-to-head in the most competitive meets.

Just one year and one town separated the two, but their relationship extended past that rivalry, McChesney said.

“People misunderstood their rivalry.

They knew they liked each other, but people observing from afar didn’t know that they had a bond of respect. That bond of respect turned into a bond of roommates,” he said.

Jenks graduated South in 2020, joining Connolly to run track and cross country for Stanford University. In the three years since, Connolly said they have grown close as roommates and teammates.

“She feels like a soulmate,” she said.“She is so confident in herself, but also radiates this positivity that we all really feed off of. We do some pretty difficult workouts here at Stanford, and she is just always someone who we can rely on, whether that’s pacing us or leading that front group and bringing us all together throughout the workout ... She just cares so deeply about all of us and will go out of her way to chat with anyone and everyone on the team and really just cares about how people are doing.”

Julie Mallatt, Jenks’ mom, said that the best part about cheering Jenks on is seeing her joy.

“She's really good at seeing the big picture,” she said. “She isn't spending a whole lot of time putting pressure on herself about it. It's all about enjoying it and enjoying school and enjoying your friends.”

As a runner at the Division One collegiate level, Jenks said that she appreciates the Stanford team’s camaraderie and their bond.

“What I really love about running in college and at Stanford specifically is just how good and deep our team is. It's really special to be able to be pushing yourself really hard with all these girls right next to you that are just as competitive and just as willing to work hard,” she said.

Jenks just completed her third cross country season for Stanford and has already been named an All American and two-time

photo contributed by Lucy Jenks

Jenks (left) competes against elite distance runners in Pac-12 race as a freshman.

U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic.

She was a part of the PAC-12 XC championship team in 2020-21, and as a sophomore she placed 15th in the 5,000m at the NCAA outdoor track championships. She said that a lot of this success is due to training with McChesney in high school.

“Well, we all hated to lose her on the team. People just enjoyed having her as a teammate, and she would have made a fabulous captain.”

Doug McCarthy Girls Soccer Head Coach “Steve did a really good job preserving me. There's a lot of girls that I see now in college that were better than me in high school and were training so much harder than me in high school, and don't have as much room to grow, whereas I feel like I was able to just naturally progress and get better,” she said.

Although it may be surprising, Jenks was not originally a runner, nor a distance runner when she joined track. As a kid, Jenks was not initially particularly athletic, Mallatt said.

"When she was really young, we thought her brother and sister were the most athletic because they just were high energy and really very, very active in sports. Lucy, we always thought, was not that way,” she said.

However, Mallett said that at just five years old, Jenks proved her family wrong.

"Lucy ran around the track and won it by so much, she beat third graders and fourth graders,” she said. “We were like ‘wow.’ We had no idea,” she said.

Jenks’ running career didn’t end at age five — she won eight track state championships and set the All State indoor mile meet record in high school, where she juggled varsity and club soccer with running, and ran just indoor track her first few years.

When Jenks first joined South’s indoor

track team as a freshman, she began with sprint events, not distance. McChesney had known about her speed — she ran under 13 seconds for 100 meters in middle school — but had no idea about her amazing endurance. Within a few meets, Jenks transitioned from running 300 meters to 1,000 meters and has been a distance runner ever since.

Although she shone in her individual events, McChesney said she was just as dedicated, if not more, to team relays. Jenks led South’s girls 4 x 800 relay to All State wins three times.

“She loved that as much as anything else that she’s done as an individual,” he said.

Senior Amelia Everett, who will join Jenks on the Stanford team next year, and currently holds six All-State mile titles herself, ran with Jenks her freshman year. Everett said that in addition to her incredible athletic feats, Jenks is a team leader and a positive presence on all of her teams.

“Lucy is very competitive and focused but also knows how to have fun,” she said.

Jenks played high school varsity soccer for three years before transitioning to running cross country in the fall of her senior year. Her combination of speed and stamina made her a dangerous wing.

As a freshman, she was 10th in scoring in the Dual County League and was the team’s Rookie of the Year. Going into her senior year, she was a league all star and was elected to be one of the team’s captains.

Ultimately, Jenks quit soccer to run cross country her senior fall. She said she decided to pursue running, as it provided her with a wider range of opportunities. “[I thought], ‘Okay, wait, I think this running thing can take me a lot further than soccer can’,” she said.

Girls soccer head coach Doug McCarthy said that the team appreciated her contributions while they lasted.

“We all hated to lose her on the team.

People just enjoyed having her as a teammate, and she would have made a fabulous captain,” he said.

She hasn’t slowed down since, nor forgotten her roots, McChesney said.

“She texts me and says …‘Oh Amelia ran so well. I’m so glad you guys made it to States,’” he said. “She knows and remembers where she came from,” he said.

sports | page 20

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North-South girls hockey 'crushes' barriers Andrew Feinberg & Elijah Kosto Sports Reporters

They aren’t any lions or tigers (or bears), but rather the Crush, a different mascot representative of a hybrid team. Unlike most other high school sports, the girls ice hockey team combines North and South players into one team and includes coaching staff from both schools.

With a season spanning from their first game on Dec.10 until mid-February, the girls battle teams from all around eastern Massachusetts.

Both schools have struggled in the past to fill the program with only their respective students. In 2013, South formed a team with Brookline and was able to have a JV team for the first time. In 2018, the dual program with North was formed.

While the rivalry between the two high schools is infamous, team members say they shed their school ties at the rink door. After only one year on the team, South sophomore Mady Daley said that she is already close with her teammates from North.

“I probably wouldn't cross paths with that many of the North girls, [but] we're spending every day together, and so we really formed a great community and connection,” she said.

“I talk to them even when we’re off-season.”

Captain Hadley Conroy, a senior at South, said that she enjoys being on a team with students who reach beyond the South community.

“It's really nice to be with people in

Newton that you don't see every day. And it doesn't really feel like we're rivals. It's just one team. We put aside the rivalry,” she said.

Most athletes learned to play the sport in programs like Newton Youth Hockey Girls and continued their careers on club and town teams. For South freshman Ava Barrett, this is a very different team from those she has played on before.

“The team is more closely knit than my town team,” Barrett said. “We all go to the

same kind of school, so I can relate with them about teachers.”

According to South sophomore Cecilia Sheehan, the teammates’ bond extends past the rink.

“We just do simple things normal friends would do outside of school. There’s no difference.” she said.

As with any sports team, a strong connection with the coach is essential. Scott Heslin from South and Kevin Flynn from North fill

photo contributed by Ellie Fahey

The Crush, wearing Newton orange, celebrates together after beating Wellesley 2-1.

this role, helping the team improve and bringing the girls closer.

North sophomore Ellie Fahey said one of her favorite memories with her coach came before a game after school.

“We were all really hungry because school had just ended,” she said.“So our coach stopped at a grocery store and bought us sandwich materials, and we passed them up and down the [aisle] of the bus to make sandwiches before the game.”

Flynn said that even before the start of the season, the players have already put a lot of effort into the team.

“Nobody knows that they practice a couple of days really early in the morning. They put a lot of time and effort into it and it's always been a joy coaching,” he said.

The team practices one to two times a week at 6:45 a.m. Despite the early wake-up, Daley said that she enjoys spending time with her teammates any time of day, especially in the morning.

“I'm really grateful to be on this team — even when I’m tired in the morning and it’s hard to wake up for practice, I just feel like I'm a part of the community and I'm happy to be there,” she said. “Even though I'm exhausted, being on a bus and playing music in the locker room is something that makes me really happy, and it's a great experience.”

Conroy said that in the end, the hard work and practices are worth it for the special experience of the game.

“I just love hockey, and so does everyone else,” Conroy said. “That’s why we do it.”

'The TRACK' splits up JV and Varsity meets Marisa MacDonald Sports Editor

Cough,” used by runners to refer to the burning sensation in runners’ lungs following a race.

Senior girls indoor track captain Christine A new athletics facility in Boston Landing Zong said that, compared to the old facilities, opened in April 2022, and supposedly houses the running at The TRACK will be a big step up. fastest track in the world. Appropriately titled “Most of our meets were at Reggie Lewis “The TRACK at new balance”, this 250,000 and BU, which is pretty old. The air is really bad, square-foot athletics center houses a state-of- and there's not much space, so it's gonna be really the-art track, complete with space for 5,000 different to be at a brand new track that has all roaring fans. these high-tech features,” she said. photo courtesy of Roxbury Community College Senior boys indoor track captain Marcelo For good reason, the new facility is in The Reggie Lewis Track, which has hosted the high school indoor meets since 1995.

Kuperwasser said that he’s excited to use the best high demand, hosting many collegiate, profestechnology athletics has to offer. sional and high school meets throughout the meets have existed for years, held in South’s know who's on JV and who's on varsity,”they said.

“Not all tracks are built equally. Depend- year. Since typical indoor meets lasted four to field house and run by coaching staff and varsity “People always raced two separate events as JV ing on how the track is made and the composition six hours, meets needed to be cut shorter and athletes. Now, they’ll be run by DCL officials. and varsity, like one event varsity but then run When a meet was running especially late, a JV relay. It’s never been ‘These are the people of the actual ground you're running on, it'll be became varsity-only competitions this year, girls Zong said it was the JV races that were on the who are varsity, these are JV.’” more bouncy with more energy return,” he said. track assistant coach Ariel Kenyon said. chopping block.

With the new system, they’ll The whole team always supports each “We'll just have better times because it's a better “They have a really tight schedule, so we always get a chance to run. other, regardless of racing level, they said. track. People get to run faster, jump higher, jump only have three hours to compete,” she said.“We “Varsity events will run first, and then “I could always hear everyone cheering further, and so on.” just don't have enough time to get everyone in, sometimes we'll just run out of time for JV events, for me through the noise, through everything,” Since 2002, high school athletes from all so our big meets are going to be varsity only. We especially the sprints, which a lot of JV kids they said.

“It just builds you up so much, but now over the state have raced at the Boston University have four on the calendar right now of JV-only tend to lean towards.

Sometimes, a JV athlete some of my friends on JV might not be there.”

(BU) Track and Tennis Center. For even longer, meets, most likely at BU.” wouldn’t even get to run in their meets because Despite the difficult length of meets, they have raced at the Reggie Lewis Track and Instead of the program racing all together, of this lack of space and time.

Now they’ll be Kupperwasser said that he prefers staying for Athletic Center, known for its poor air quality meets will be divided by level, on different days able to,” she said. hours, united as a whole team. and the origin of the infamous term “Reggie and at different locations. Zong said JV-only Even though the combined meets can “I don't like it because as captain I want be arduous, sophomore Max Hubbard said the my team to be together. I want a whole team,” he competitive nature of varsity athletes can be a said. “Yes, meets are long, whatever. But I want positive influence. everyone there. I want everyone encouraging “Just having the opportunity to see what each other.” varsity looks like when you're racing is great,” he Bojar said they plan to work hard during said.“If there's less pressure at a meet because no practices and team-bonding activities to keep one needs to score, people might just not take it the team united. seriously or as competitively.”

“We’re going to make sure that we all Existing cohesively as a single program warm up, practice and work out together, includregardless of racing level is a fundamental tenet ing everyone,” they said. “[We’re] making sure of the team, senior girls indoor track captain that everything, except the meets which I can't photo courtesy of Boston Landing Mitchy Bojar said. change, is the same, so no one pays attention to 'The TRACK at new balance' welcomes runners and fans for an early season meet.

“I can honestly tell you that I don't even who races what.”

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sports | page 21

Exposing ethical issues of the World Cup Levin Brenner Sports Reporter

was restricted, leaving them trapped. Qatari organizers denied the high death count.

Another concern regarding Qatar surrounded the country’s anti-LGBTQ+ stance. Although Qatari organizers have stated that members of the LGBTQ+ community are welcome, homosexuality is still punishable by prison in Qatar. The Guardian reported that FIFA banned the rainbow armbands famously worn by captain players like Lionel Messi and

Cristiano Ronaldo, threatening to sanction teams.

Although Qatar has tried to maintain a good image, the government has struggled to silence protests from participating countries. In March, Germany’s players posed for a photo of themselves dressed in black with white letters across their chests, spelling out “HUMAN RIGHTS.” Human rights groups supporting the #PayUpFIFA campaign have also called for $440 million, the amount of money allotted to the winner of the World Cup, to be raised in retribution for the fallen workers.

For a World Cup with as many underlying issues as Qatar 2022, the drama of the game spreads far past the pitch. Blatter, the ex-president of FIFA, was quoted in NPR saying, “[Choosing Qatar to host] was a bad choice, and I was responsible.”

Politics, death and corruption have dominated this World Cup, casting a shadow over what is a truly beautiful game. y hic b grap

g Wan Julie

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest sporting event in the world and was expected to draw in more than five billion viewers, according to NBC Sports. Every four years, one nation hosts the month-long spectacle, where hundreds of thousands of fans flock from all around the world to attend.

In 2010, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), the governing body of the World Cup, selected Qatar from a group of five bids to host the 2022 World Cup. Criticism and outrage ensued, mostly directed at the FIFA president at the time, Sepp Blatter.

With new reports of corruption and human rights violations, the beauty and thrill of the game has been overshadowed by the horrors that went into hosting it.

With a population of 2.9 million people, Qatar is the smallest country ever to host a World Cup. In 2010, Qatar had only one stadium large enough to host a World Cup match; seven more had to be built in preparation for the tournament.

But the problems didn’t end there. The country lacked adequate transportation and accommodations for FIFA’s estimated 1.2 million fans who were to attend the tournament.

Business Insider estimates the total cost of the World Cup to be about $229 billion — 16 times more than what Russia spent in 2018.

Seven stadiums, hundreds of accommodation buildings and several brand-new transportation systems had to be built. With

a small domestic labor force, Qatar relied heavily on migrant workers from other countries, especially Nepal, India and Bangladesh.

In order to work in Qatar, migrant workers had to obtain working visas, which Business Insider approximated as costing up to $4,000.

Unable to pay that cost, many workers turned to their Qatari employers to sponsor their visas, which trapped them in a punitive labor system called the kafala system.

Under the system, the employer has complete control over their workers’ jobs and immigration status. Workers in this system, who helped to renovate and upgrade the Khalifa International Stadium, where Team USA played their final match, earned an average of just $2,640 a year.

Dangerous working conditions compounded these low wages, as construction workers found themselves building in the scorching heat of the summer months, in temperatures that surpassed 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Heart problems and body deformities due to heavy lifting were widespread.

It was only after seven years of construction and in response to increasing pressure from human rights groups that FIFA banned certain working hours in the summer months. Still, The Guardian estimates that 6,500 migrant workers died working in Qatar from 2010 to 2020.

According to The New York Times, 200 of those deaths were recorded by human rights groups as suicides. Because workers’ immigration and job status were controlled by their employers, the freedom to visit loved ones and the ability to reform working conditions

The power of sports during the holidays Joey Giragos Sports Reporter

There’s something about big meals and big games that seems to make for the perfect family gathering. In my own household, the annual NFL football post-Thanksgiving dinner and prime-time NBA game on Christmas Day have become staples of my family’s holiday traditions.

This year, the Patriots played on Thanksgiving for the first time since 2012, so naturally, much of Massachusetts spent the holiday watching Mac Jones and company take on the Minnesota Vikings. My family is no different; every year we sit down, bellies filled to the brim with turkey and watch football for hours.

Sometimes, the games are great and everyone is engaged, whether it be quietly from the couch or yelling from the beanbags on the floor. Sometimes, the games drag on, and out come the fantasy football score updates and bathroom breaks.

But even when the Texans and Jaguars are trading three and outs, we still watch, chatting aimlessly and soaking up the opportunity to be together as a family on the holiday. I’ve grown to appreciate these moments and cherish the wholesome togetherness of grabbing a blanket and watching football with your family.

Our traditions don’t stop just at football.

The holidays also happen to be a great time to watch college basketball in full swing, and from a young age, my brother and I were always glued to the TV watching whichever schools happened to be playing on ESPN. When I was six and my brother was four, my dad, hoping to translate our love for watching basketball into some physical activity, bought a six-foot mini basketball hoop. Now,

more than 10 years later, the hoop still stands in our hallway and has graduated from receiving lay-ups to vicious dunks and off-the-wall shots as we’ve grown up. A simple gift has turned into a staple of my childhood — something my dad surely couldn’t have imagined when he bought it years ago.

When the weather gets cold, we wrap the hoop in garland, and friends and family alike grab the little green ball, turn on the electronic scoreboard that goes with it and ball out. That hoop has stood the test of time and creates a sense of consistent bonding between me and my family.

A more wacky family tradition is our superstitions, which all started during a Patriots-Seahawks game. Yes. That game. Back in February of 2015, we watched intently as the Patriots took on the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX. With 31 seconds left on the clock, the Seahawks were just one yard away from scoring a touchdown and winning the Super Bowl. I was losing hope, but my ever-creative dad thought of a way to keep my dreams alive.

He noticed some small round magnets from a play set scattered across the floor.

He picked one up, and told me to shake it for good luck.

Thu s , the “ hope balls” were born. On the very next play,

Patriots rookie cornerback Malcolm Butler intercepted Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson’s pass, clinching the Super Bowl victory for the Patriots. In the years since, I’ve treasured the hope balls, and they still sit on my desk, ready for a shake anytime my team needed a miracle.

The hope balls’ record isn’t perfect: our UNC Tar Heels losing the 2022 March Madness National Championship was a colossal hope balls failure, but I’ll always remember what they did for me on that Super Bowl Sunday. I will never stop shaking them during every big game.

Sports and holidays have one major thing in common: they bring people together.

For as long as I can remember, the two have

I've grown to appreciate these moments and cherish the wholesome togetherness of grabbing a blanket and watching football with your family. been deeply intertwined in my family. Being able to share my passion while connecting with my loved ones brings an unmatched feeling of joy to the holiday season.

graphic by Lynn Kim

page 22 | sports

the lion's roar

An Uplifting Community South's gym works to be more inclusive through programs like Beginner's Lift and team workouts

Friends cheer each other on as they bench in the weight room.

photo by Levin Brenner

By Tate Slater and Olivia Whitaker

F

or junior Luca Del Porto, who founded Beginner’s Lift in September, lifting became an escape when the uncertainty of the pandemic threw off many of his routines.

“A typical day for me would look like: waking up, going on Zoom and throughout the day just eating … I was really only moving around the house,” he said.

Lifting turned out to do more than just structure Del Porto’s day: it improved his mental health, he said.

“When you do a big lift and you reach your goal of any kind, your serotonin levels rise. Studies have shown that you really see an increase in emotional wellness and health when you go to the gym,” he said.

According to a 2018 article published by Nature Communications, increasing levels of serotonin, a hormone that naturally regulates stress and is linked to feelings of happiness, can increase the brain's ability to grasp and learn new information — benefits that especially extend to students.

Through the years, the Fitness Center has garnered controversy and complaints, but new programs like Beginners Lift offer stu-

dents confidence in South’s gym. The culture is changing.

Del Porto said his goal with Beginner’s Lift was to make the gym more welcoming.

Open to all students, Beginners Lift meets every Wednesday during WIN block.

“The goal was to make the gym more approachable, for everyone,” he said. “We love going to the gym, and we want to give that opportunity to other people.”

Wellness teacher Alan Rotatori advises and supervises Beginners Lift. He said that having a gym at the school helps students learn to lift safely so that they can lift confidently in other places as well.

“It’s all about teaching kids the right form and techniques so that they can go off by themselves and feel comfortable about what they’re doing,” he said.

Outside of WIN blocks, South’s fitness center is open to students after school until 6 p.m.

For many students, especially those with after school activities, the weight room makes working out a feasible possibility.

Senior and nordic ski team captain

Mariel Shapiro brings the nordic team to the weight room to workout during dryland practices. Shapiro said that her schedule is often packed with school and extracurriculars, so having a gym inside othe school gives her and the rest of the team a convenient option for workouts.

Shapiro said that lifting with the nordic team fosters unity and makes working out fun.

“If I did [go alone] then, especially at the very beginning, it could feel intimidating, but if you are with friends or in a team, it is not really intimidating. It is just a lot of fun,” she said.

Freshman Nora Prasad says that she started using the gym once her friends began going, and she wanted to learn more about working out.

“I had friends that were doing it and I thought it'd be an interesting way to use the gym because I've only used dumbbells before,”she said.

Freshman Thayer Bialek said that he finds the weight room a valuable place to learn important lifting tips. “[Weightlifting] just a useful skill and you can take advantage of it here … I think

it's helpful to learn how to use the equipment safely and what's the best form,” he said.

Rotatori said that although joining a program at the gym can be daunting at first, he believes that students get more comfortable with the environment over time. Going to the weight room can help to increase their confidence.

“It can definitely be intimidating when new people walk into the weight room and hear the sounds of weights falling, but I think that over time people get used to it and start liking the sound,” he said.

As Beginners Lift welcomes students into the gym while showing them the importance of lifting, Del Porto said the club can be beneficial to anyone interested in the practice.

Rotatori said he believes that the gym is constantly improving, and the South community is fortunate to have such a large and clean fitness center.

“I really think that we are going in the right direction as a community and as a program in the weight room,” he said.“We are extremely lucky to have the opportunity to use a state of the art facility inside our school.”

Unpacking the Sexism of the World Cup

By Clare Tourtelotte

As the Men’s World Cup draws to a close, it is undeniable that the world’s eyes are largely on soccer right now; however, as usual, this attention has greatly eclipsed any spotlight that women have ever received. Despite recent progress with equal pay in sports, there still is a long way to go for the Women’s World Cup to be treated with the same respect as its male counterpart.

For as long as we can remember, gender equality has been an issue in sports. Female and male athletes have not received anywhere close to equal salaries, and while still the case in many sports (the average male NBA player earns $5.3 million a year, whereas the average WNBA player earns $130,000 a year), the United States national soccer teams have made great leaps of progress in evening the wage gap.

This May, the U.S. men’s and women’s national soccer teams made history when they announced the ratification of two new monetary agreements. After years of pushes by the women's national team players’ union, several court cases, protests and Megan Rapinoe’s visit to the White House, they achieved equal pay for both teams.

However, because the marketing for the two teams still favors men’s soccer — awarding them more advertising money and bonuses — the players are still not pocketing equal money.

This World Cup, when the U.S. men advanced to the round of 16, they secured a prize of at least $13 million — more than the combined prize money the U.S. women’s team earned for WINNING the last two World Cups. How about this: after the federation takes some of the men's prize money, the remaining money will be split with the women's team.

While some argue that the money shouldn’t be split among the teams, according to an article published on the Major League Soccer website, sharing the money fosters unity among the soccer teams and allows for equal quality of venues, field playing surfaces, hotel accommodations and staffing for camps and charter flights.

It is unfair that in order to achieve this equality, women have to“take” some of the men’s money, but that’s the reality of the sexist world of sports. The men are not doing anything fundamentally better in order to earn more money — they are just men. Female athletes

work just as hard as male athletes, but they don’t get nearly enough recognition or money.

In a perfect world, the prize money shouldn’t have to be split; the prize money for the women’s tournament should be equal to that of the men’s tournament. However, that is simply not the case. The soccer industry and sports industry as a whole is heavily skewed in support of the male teams.

Whenever you walk into a restaurant, turn on popular TV stations or read the sports section of the Boston Globe, viewers are only exposed to male sports. Soccer is no different: female soccer players are not seen as equal to their male counterparts, despite achieving far greater.

According to Statistica, a software specializing in market and consumer data, during the 2019 Women's Soccer World Cup, which the U.S team won, advertisers spent $96 million on ads aired in the U.S. TV networks. A year earlier, for the 2018 Men’s World Cup, in which the U.S. didn’t even qualify, spending on advertisements reached $350 million — over three times the amount than for women’s soccer.

We can’t stop pushing progress after

achieving equal pay; we must fundamentally change how the World Cups are designed. Let’s start with the name. There’s one World Cup for men and one for women, yet the Women’s World Cup has to be specified with the word ‘women’ and the Men’s World Cup doesn’t, deemed solely the World Cup. I think the soccer federation finds power in simply naming it the World Cup because dramatizing the tournament implies more power and strength and therefore more advertisers. What they don’t recognize, however, is the negative connotations it leaves for the Women’s World Cup — it implies otherness and invalidates everything that female soccer players work for by deeming that their World Cup as not the main competition.

As a society, we must take major steps in the way we perceive sports. Men are not better than women, and women are not less competitive than men.

I hope that this summer, the 2023 Women’s World Cup receives the recognition it deserves, and I can’t wait to see the powerhouses of women's soccer perform on the biggest world stage.

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fun | page 23

CROSSWORD PUZZLE ACROSS 2) What did the ocean say to the beach? Nothing, it just _____.

3) Cambridge school where students can apply restrictive early action 6) Apt acronym for Seasonal Affective Disorder 7) Fourth day of the week and the name of a popular Netflix show 9) Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other ____.

10) Maura Healey will be the first female ______ of Massachusetts 12) Black Panther’s home country 13) Mr. Wilson’s footwear of choice 15) African team that knocked Portugal out of the World Cup 16) The only department that currently has a uniform grading policy 18) New athletics facility to be used by the indoor track teams

Winter blues got you down?

Doing a puzzle is sure way to put a smile across your face!

DOWN 1) Host of the Men’s World Cup 4) South students hosted exchange students from this spanish-speaking country 5) A menorah has 9 of these.

8) America runs on _____.

11) South’s a capella group 14) ‘20 graduate and All-American, now running cross country for Stanford 17) Michelle who stars in "Everything Everywhere All at Once"

Answers: Qatar, waved, Harvard, Argentina, candle, SAD, Wednesday, Dunkin, side, governor, Newtones, Wakanda, Flip Flops, Lucy Jenks, Morocco, History, Yeoh, The TRACK

Ask Leonna Do you have a problem you need solved? A question you need answered?

DM The Lion's Roar on Instagram to have Leonna answer one of your questions in a upcoming issue.

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Contact ss.lionsroar@gmail.com

Leonna, The Lion's Roar mascot, gives advice and answers anonymous student questions

Dear Leonna, Despite my best efforts, I'm single.

Why don't I have a boyfriend?

- Chronically Alone Good question. I ask myself the same thing every day. Maybe it's because I'm intimidatingly cool, or maybe it's because I'm a cartoon lion. If I find out, I’ll let you know.

For now, I'm trying to enjoy life as a singleton. So what if we’re desperately lonely? We've got freedom, baby! Nothing's better than that.

Dear Leonna, Should I get back with my ex even though he cheated on me?

- Confused Ex-Love I’d suggest having an honest conversation. But before you do, make sure you get all your upset emotions out somehow.

I suggest crying into a bowl of ice cream, blasting Olivia Rodrigo and TSwizzle or screaming into a pillow. Anything that’s cathartic, dramatic and a tad bit aggressive will do the trick. Once you’re feeling better, you’re ready to talk.

In conversation, remember that relationships are difficult, and people make mistakes. It may help to understand why

he cheated. You do not need to justify his actions, but forgiving him may provide you with some closure.

Depending on the situation, it is really up to you to make a choice. Whatever you do, remember your worth: if getting back together is what will make you feel respected and happy, then go for it. If not, there are plenty of better fish in the sea. If I may, I’d like to introduce you to Chronically Alone. I think you two will hit it off.

On the cover Gen Z steps onto the national stage after midterm elections and paves the way for future youth engagement

Senior Dan Bahar poses on the steps of Newton City Hall photo by Bella Ishanyan