The Lion's Roar 42-2

By Hana Futai & Ellie Shim

Graphics by Clare Cho & Ellen Wu

May in Review

By Seyoon Byun & James Garrett

It’s going to be good for the community … a private space within the house or in the backyard is appealing and helpful for most people.

We wanted people to be able to create, essentially, an additional unit of housing within their home, without having to buy a new plot of land or build a crazy addition.

Josh Krintzman City Councilor

My role is to step in as acting principal, and just make sure when Principal Stras returns, I'm handing her back the school she left that is successful and where students feel supported and safe.

On Tuesday, April 22, the Newton City Council passed a revised accessory dwelling unit (ADU) ordinance, which allows for larger internal and external ADUs and relaxes rules regarding owner occupancy of the units. e goal of the ordinance is to make it easier for residents to construct ADUs and in turn to increase the number of ADUs.

Freedom

is year marks the 60th anniversary of the 1965 Freedom Rally, when Martin Luther King Jr., Ruth Batson, Alan Gartner, the Rev. Virgil Wood and Ralph Abernathy led more than 22,000 people in a march on the Boston Commons. On April 26, Embrace Boston hosted a rally that drew more than 2,000 people, honoring and protesting against racial inequities in housing and education during Boston’s civil rights struggles. Commemorative events this year honored the march and re ected on the community’s continued e orts toward racial justice in the city.

He's an incredible dean. He's been here a long time, and I am hoping, as it's just a temporary role, to keep the traditions that he's put in place.

David Kershaw Guidance Counselor

e rally gave me an overall sense of community and belonging. We all were ghting for something greater than just individual rights. It was a community that just really understood each other.

Bomi Woo class of '27, Rally Attendee

Dr. King was a regular college kid here. His legacy started in this city. e Freedom Rally reminds us that everyday people, together, can change the world.

Gregory Ball Rally Organizer

Marc Bancs Goldrick Dean

City passes ADU ordinance

Stras on leave, Banks fills in

Julie Krintzman Real Estate Agent

Rally anniversary

graphics by Emily Cheng

Principal Tamii Stras is expecting her second child and will be on maternity leave to start the 2025-26 school year; Stras plans to return by October. During her absence, Goldrick Dean Marc Banks will serve as acting principal, and guidance counselor David Kershaw will temporarily take over as Goldrick Dean. Kershaw has worked at South for 18 years and holds an administrative license.

NPS settles district budget deficit for FY2026

Annabel Kohler & Yanka Chowdhury

On April 22, Mayor Ruthanne Fuller presented her municipal budget for the $scal year (FY) 2026 to the Newton City Council, which included $292.9 million in total expenditures for the Newton Public Schools (NPS), amounting to a 3.65 percent increase to the district’s operating budget.

However, in her original budget proposal, which was presented to Fuller on Feb. 26, Superintendent Anna Nolin had requested a 6.1 percent increase.

Nolin said that she proposed a budget that accounted for both the needs of NPS and in ation.

“I knew that there would just be fewer available dollars this year from the state, so I tried to propose a middle of the road budget,” she said.

After months of conversation between Nolin, Fuller and the School Committee, a compromise to close the budget de$cit was reached on May 19. It was announced mere hours before the City Council voted to approve Fuller’s municipal budget.

Fuller agreed to appropriate an additional $1.1 million in Free Cash — funds from the previous year that the City is able to allocate as it wishes — to the NPS operating budget. Additionally, NPS will use $350,000 of current cash as carryforward funding in order to cover future FY2026 expenses. e compromise comes after Fuller previously agreed to allocate $5 million in Free Cash to

the district; however, only $2.5 million of that sum was permitted to go to the reduction of the budget de$cit.

While most major cuts will be avoided, funding for some services — $eld trip stipends and late buses, for example — will not continue into FY2026.

South math teacher and Legislative Committee Chair Ryan Normandin said that in neighboring towns, most of the municipal budget goes to fund public education.

“If you look at every municipality across the state,

schools eat up the most money [in the] budget,” he said.

However, in her budget address to the Newton City Council, Fuller said that increasing spending on NPS would strain the city’s budget in unhealthy ways.

“If the school budget rises signi$cantly

beyond 3.5 percent a year, in a cost category that is over 65 percent of our city spending, then we are cannibalizing all the other vital public services on which our residents rely,” she said.

people feel exhausted and exasperated,” she said.

Additionally, Fuller said that cities that have seen increases in revenue similar to Newton’s have increased their school districts’ budgets by similar amounts.

“Notably, a 3.65 percent increase for [NPS] this year is a similar increase to other school districts in municipalities that have modest new growth in revenues,” she said. “Boston Public Schools: 3.5 percent. Watertown: 3.7 percent. Wellesley: 3.25 percent. Brookline: 3.5 percent.”

History and social science teacher

Jamie Rinaldi said that he hopes that class sizes in future years will not become too large to handle.

“ e experience of teaching a class of 29 or 30 [students] is totally di erent than 24 or 25,” he said.

South English teacher Kelly Henderson said that the budget de$cit and long budget process took an emotional toll on teachers and sta .

“It just feels insulting and painful. I think

Christine Walsh, the second release o cer for the Newton Teachers Association (NTA), said that during the budgeting process, it’s hard to anticipate the positions at risk of being cut.

“It's hard to plan for it and protect those people's rights when we don't even know what's happening with them yet,” she said.

Michael Zilles, president of the NTA, said underfunding could lead to changes in some of the district’s most valuable teaching and learning programs.

“ e change would include the restructuring of departments, rethinking how services will be provided and thinking about what curricular levels will be [available] next year,” he said.

Henderson said it is important to use sources of funding like Free Cash and emergency funds, such as the district’s Education Stabilization Fund, to support schools through a budget de$cit.

“I mean, we're saving [these funds] for a rainy day, but it's literally raining on the third oor at Newton South,” she said.

Rinaldi said that using those funding sources sooner rather than later is important, and that doing so can minimize the damage of future problems.

“We see the need for that investment right now. I think that if we wait, there will be a lot of small things that we lose in the interim that will actually create new kinds of needs, unpredicted needs,” he said. “Five, 10 or 15 years from now, if they had been addressed in the present, they might not have cost as much.”

Cut The Crap: cleaning the Charles for good

the Crap” campaign to end combined sewage over ow in the Charles River.

e CRWA aims to educate Massachusetts residents on combined sewer systems, which collect stormwater and wastewater in the same pipes. During heavy rainfall, these systems can become overwhelmed and release the excess untreated sewage and stormwater mixture directly into the river, causing pollution.

In the late 1900s, the Boston Harbor was dubbed “ e Harbor of Shame,” as it was considered the most polluted harbor in America due to its outdated sewage system.

Kristin MacDougall, assistant to the board of directors at the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA), said that when she was younger, she often witnessed garbage owing through the river.

“In the ‘70s and ‘80s, I grew up around [Massachusetts] and seeing how the harbor and the rivers were, I was very concerned about the pollution, and I wanted to join the e ort to make it better,” she said.

Seunghee Chai, an Auburndale resident of three years, said her walks around the river are particularly staggering.

“Whenever I take walks by the river, all I can think about is how dark and dirty the water is,” she said. “We’ve always lived by the Charles River, and not a single time did I think that the river was clean.”

Since the ‘70s, several initiatives have been created in an attempt to reverse the damage done to natural bodies of water locally and nationwide. In 1972, the United States

waters, Emily Norton, the executive director of CRWA, said that the act was never implemented as intended.

“ e Clean Water Act called for $shable, swimmable rivers by 1983, and it still hasn't happened, so arguably, we are very behind,” she said.

Two decades after the Clean Water Act, in 1995, the Environmental Protection Agency launched the Clean Charles River Initiative with the intent to make the lower part of the

graphicbySeyoonByun

shable by 2005. Charles did inwater quality score from a D in 1995 to an A- in 2018 as judged by the Environmental Protection Agency, Norton said that work still needs to be done at the city level in order to make the river safer to use.

“ e primary goal is to get the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority and the cities of Cambridge and Somerville to agree and then make a plan for eliminating sewage discharges into the Charles,” she said.

e CRWA has organized countless protests, including hanging a banner over I-90 to bring more attention to the polluted river and a digital petition to gather public support and demand action from authorities.

Despite all the hard work done by the CRWA, the Charles still received over 100 million gallons of raw sewage in the past two years from the 10 remaining combined sewer outfalls on the river.

Sophomore Penny Fang, a coxswain at the Community Rowing Institute (CRI) in Cambridge, said poor water quality in the Charles can be hazardous to rowers.

“Sometimes the coaches get emails telling them to avoid falling into the water or having rowers fall into the water because something got into [the Charles] and it’s dirty,” she said.

MWRA project manager Jeremy Hall said that the challenge of carrying out activities on the river drives e orts to make it better for future generations.

“I am a father who wants his children to be able to utilize the river to the maximum use possible,” he said.

To address this issue, the CRWA has organized cleanups. According to the organization, in 2024 alone, volunteers removed about 9,000 pounds (4.5 tons) of trash during the Earth Day cleanup. More than 4,000 volunteers took part, and they cleaned over 100 sites along the river.

Director of CRI Ted Benford said that thanks to the e orts of the CRWA and other environmental groups, the biodiversity of the river has improved signi$cantly.

“My vision would be to continue the progress that these organizations have already made because we've seen an uptick in wildlife and $sh life around our facility just over the past $ve or 10 years,” he said.

While the area is still in need of a lot of work, Norton said that she and her team remain committed to keeping the Charles clean for good.

“I really care about these issues. I care about a sustainable planet. I love the Charles River. I grew up very close to it, and so I want to see it cleaned up for real,” she said. “I don't think it's right that we're still allowing sewage to go into it.”

Farewell,

The Roar wishes well to retiring

By Seyoon Byun, Leah Fiadjoe, Anastasia

Spanish teacher Helena Alfonzo is retiring after teaching for almost 40 years. After nding a job at a school in Venezuela that needed a Spanish teacher, Alfonzo said that she became passionate about teaching.

“ ey hired me for a part-time job, and I didn’t know that I would love to teach the language,” she said.

Sophomore Joya Tendulkar, who had

Tech and engineering teacher and boys’ junior varsity soccer coach

Matt Briggs is retiring after 32 years at South.

Oak Hill Middle School teacher Floyd Butler, who worked for ve years with Briggs as the South boys’ varsity soccer head coach, said it was Briggs’ instinct for guidance and trust that set him apart as a coach.

“What makes him such an incredible

Guidance counselor and AWARE coadvisor Chris Hardiman is retiring. Hardiman spent 36 years in education including 13 at South. Hardiman said witnessing students grow over the years is one of the most rewarding parts of working as an educator.

“It is a pleasure to see the progress of the school spirit and see students grow and blossom as young adults from ninth grade

Alfonzo for two years, said that she admires Alfonzo’s attitude towards her students.

“She's just very kind and sweet, she's always caring for her students,” she said. “I know her WINs are a super big place where a lot of students come together and hang out.”

Alfonzo has a speci c WIN intended for Spanish-speaking students to come to. Tendulkar said that having a community like the one Alfonzo created is meaningful to a lot

Marcia Bergman is retiring after working 10 years with students as a teaching assistant at South.

A South alumna herself,

Bergman said after gaining experience, she returned to the school to work with students.

“I chose working as a teaching assistant because I had a background in education,” she said.“After working in di"erent elds, I knew

educator is that he knows how and when to nudge people in the right direction so that they can write their own conclusions,” he said.

Briggs said that being a part of the school’s daily life and culture is one of the most meaningful parts of his role and that he is going to miss the community when he departs from South.

"A lot of people kind of look at me as the school historian. I really like that. It really

After 14 years of working as a librarian at South, Jennifer Dimmick will be retiring at the end of this school year.

During her time at South, Dimmick collaborated with teachers to support student research and writing and was an advisor for South’s Crochet for Our Community club, which works towards donating crochet projects to kids in need.

Dimmick said that the most reward-

all the way to 12th grade,” he said.

Dean Marc Banks, who worked with Hardiman for 13 years in Goldrick House, said that students have long relied on Hardiman for honest advice and support through big decisions.

“Mr. Hardiman is someone who helps students gure out the next best step in their lives,” he said. “He's so knowledgeable about all of those things. His departure is going to have

of students.

“ at has an impact on a lot of di"erent students, and she creates a safe, welcoming and warm place,” she said.

Post retirement, Alfonzo said that although her future is unclear, she plans to branch out into photography and travel.

“I don't have a structure yet, but I would like to take courses in photography, and maybe plan more trips,” she said.

I would be a good asset to students.”

Bergman said the most rewarding part of her job was watching students grow both academically and socially, especially those who faced unique challenges.

“I had a student one year who passed the physics MCAS and another who passed the math MCAS,” she said. “You can’t describe the feeling when you see special ed students achieve that.”

makes me feel as if I'm part of the building, the culture and the history of South,” he said.

Butler said that his experience with Briggs in uenced how he sees leadership in school.

"Briggs has allowed me the opportunity to recognize that you can be pragmatic, forward, sensitive and kind,” he said.“You can be more than one thing at once as a coach, as a teacher.”

ing part of her job is working with high school students.

“Following students from ninth to 12th grade and seeing how much they grow and change and become adults is really special,” she said.

Sophomore and Crochet for Our Community Club President Karuna Tarafdar said that overall Dimmick has been an important gure for club members and students across

a lasting impact here.”

Senior Alex Kagan, who has had Hardiman as a guidance counselor for four years, said Hardiman’s absence will be felt by both current and future students.

“I would be distraught if he was leaving while I was still in school, but I'm very sad that other students, [like] the incoming freshmen won't get to know him because he's such a great person to know,” she said.

Re ecting on her years at South, Bergman said leaving South after a decade of working closely with students and sta" has been a bittersweet transition.

“It’s really strange after you spend 10 years somewhere,” she said. “But that’s life, moving on and doing other things.”

In retirement, she plans to spend time with her family, traveling and pursuing her hobbies that she used to put aside.

the school

“She supported me a lot when I built my club and encouraged me to reach my goals,” she said.

After retirement, Dimmick said that she plans to travel with her husband and explore new places.

“My husband is retired, and we like to travel a lot,” she said. "I'm looking forward to more freedom.”

photos by Abby Miller and Seyoon Byun

Faculty!

retiring South faculty members.

Anastasia Karpova, Chloe Lee & Abby Miller

With 14 years of experience in education, librarian Katherine Steiger is retiring from South. Of the 14 years Steiger worked at South, she spent nine of them working with science, history and English teachers.

Steiger said that her favorite part of her time at South was connecting with her colleagues during the pandemic.

“My most memorable memories are

After 37 years of contributions at South, notably as a chemistry teacher, and founder of Asian Student Organization (ASO)

McChesney said that retiring means she is going to have to leave the strong connections she's formed with colleagues from many parts of the school community.

“One of the things that I'll miss is my co-workers here at South, like

After 26 years of working in education, including 23 years at South, secretary and Extension study assistant Ellie Ross is retiring.

Ross currently works part time in the main o ce and spends the other half of her time working on Extension Studies, a program that allows students to work on assignments in a small group or one-on-one.

Ross said that she enjoyed working on

during COVID, trying to figure out how to do Zoom classes with teachers,” she said.

Steiger said that one of her proudest accomplishments at South was publishing an article with her fellow librarians.

“We published a magazine article, and that was really fun to do,” she said. “It was in the principal leadership magazine and basically explained why it's so important to teach kids about digital tools and being

After 32 years at South, English teacher and Student Support Program director Emma Leslie is retiring from teaching.

Having worked with Leslie for 12 years in the Global program, history teacher Andrew ompson said Leslie’s guidance and passion for focusing on smaller communities contributed to the creation of diverse programs.

the people in the science department, the AAPI staff affinity group, people I got to know through coaching and people in other departments that I've gotten to work with on other projects,” she said.

Junior and ASO officer Jessica Zhu said that McChesney’s impact comes not just from lessons taught, but from the genuine empathy she shows.

"Something about Mrs. McChesney

After 22 years at South, math teacher Javier Mendez is retiring from teaching.

Sophomore Jiayi Cui, who has Mendez as her math teacher, said he brings enthusiasm and is devoted to his work with students.

“Mr. Mendez is such a lively and passionate teacher, and he really makes people excited to learn math,” she said.

Extension Studies, especially because it was a space where she was able to become close with her colleagues.

“I interacted more with teachers than I had before, and I really enjoyed knowing [more] teachers,” she said.

After working with Ross for 11 years, English teacher Emma Leslie said she noticed Ross’s impact in Extension Studies.

“She's just someone who cares a lot and

digitally literate.”

Librarian Margret Schoen, who attended graduate school with Steiger and has known her for almost 16 years, said that it is going to be hard to adjust to life in the library without Steiger.

“I'm going to be very lost without [her] next year,” she said.

After retirement, Steiger plans to travel and spend time relaxing.

“She's helped with setting up our small learning communities, so she was such an instrumental member of the community, creating what became the Global, the New Media and eventually the Da Vinci program,” he said.

History teacher Rachael McNally, who has worked with Leslie for over 20 years in the Student Support Program, said Leslie’s impact goes beyond the classroom.

“She is someone people can lean on for

is that she always takes a moment, understands and uplifts students,” she said.

Chemistry teacher Suzy Drurey, who was mentored by McChesney when she first started teaching at South said that McChesney’s dedication to her students is what makes her exceptional.

"She’s truly the embodiment of what you want in a teacher,” she said.

“She only wants the best for her students."

“He seems like a genuinely kind person who cares about kids and will spend extra time to make sure students understand.”

Mendez said he often focuses on supporting students who struggle to keep up with the pace of the class. “Mostly, I just used to help students, especially the ones at lower levels. When they look at the pace, and feel the class is too fast, they are definitely intimidated to bring ques -

she's willing to work hard and do whatever she's asked to do” she said.

Ross’s job allows her to communicate with many di"erent students, which she said was her favorite part of working at South.

“I like seeing the kids, listening to kids and working with kids,” she said. “I always enjoyed interacting with all family members.”

After retirement, Ross is considering moving.

her vast experience and willingness to share her successes and failures because you learn from both of them,” she said.

Even after she retires Leslie said she plans to continue pursuing her love of teaching literature to students and making a di"erence in her community.

“I'm sure I will continue to be involved with kids in some way through volunteering in the public schools where I live,” she said.

tions,” he said.

Mendez said he also tries to ease the transition for newcomers and English learners with his bilingual background.

"I try to differentiate the style of learning for students who come into a new environment needing support, students who face challenges because of language barriers," he said.

photo conributed by Katherine Steiger

EDITORIALS

To save education, strike a balance with AI

It’s no longer science ction—Arti cial Intelligence is writing our news, diagnosing our illnesses, and even making hiring decisions. But as we race toward a future shaped by algorithms, one question looms large: Are we in control of AI, or is AI quietly taking control of us?

No, we did not miss that dreadful Oxford comma, and no, we did not forget to include spaces between that sneaky em-dash. But AI did. Yes, you got that right: that completely authentic and incredibly philosophical hook was written by ChatGPT.

For those of you who are not up to speed — and how could you be, when this new technology is developing more and more advanced capabilities at a dizzying rate? — ChatGPT is a model of Arti cial Intelligence (AI) in the form of a chatbot that was created by OpenAI.

Chatbots like ChatGPT are readily available to advise you on any query you might have: from suggesting which shade of nail polish best matches that dress to drafting that uncomfortable email to your teacher, from explaining math concepts to writing your huge summative English paper (which is supposed to re!ect what you took away from the book!), these tools have a multitude of potential uses.

With the ability to serve as a crutch to lean on in a plethora of circumstances, it makes sense that AI usage is not only present, but widespread in classrooms and extra-curriculars

throughout our school: many students feel overwhelmed, stressed and burnt out from all-consuming academic pressures.

If you’re struggling or confused in class, however, there are so many other resources at your disposal, which you can — and should — use instead of feeding ChatGPT your problems.

Khan Academy and Sal’s comforting voice are staples of any math class, Heimler can help you through centuries of history and Jeremy Krug can help you gure out that confusing chem concept.

But in many cases, the convenience of AI entices and draws on one of humanity’s most troublesome and prominent shortcomings: a deep sense of laziness.

By going through the academic process of learning concepts for yourself — the critical thinking that you demonstrate, the growth that you experience — you gain a worldview and a set of lessons that you carry with you in each stage of your life. e pset that you spent endless hours working on and the struggle that entailed built some strong perseverance in you!

Using AI robs you of the opportunity to express your own ideas and discover the parts of yourself that you nd by searching for the perfect words. AI steals the experience of learning, and if you’re not here for that, then what are you here for? Additionally, it wastes the time and e ort of our teachers, who pour

Editorial Policy

e 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.

e 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 e Lion’s Roar in no way re!ects the o cial policy of Newton South, its faculty, or its administration.

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

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

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

so much into maximizing our education.

e widespread usage of AI is rightfully raising many concerns. e eld of AI is still exceptionally young and not fully developed, leading the software to make serious errors — like quoting lines of books that don’t exist.

e !aws of AI are apparent and dangerous; furthermore, AI usage is a severe academic o ense, which can get lost in how normalized AI is becoming.

Using AI and passing it o as your own work is equivalent to committing plagiarism. We’ll say that again. Using AI and passing it o as your own work is equivalent to committing plagiarism.

As a result, the consequences should re!ect as much. As our very wise Goldrick Dean likes to say, the rst time is a mistake, the second time is a pattern and the third time is a choice.

With punishments and accountability making up only a portion of the larger issue at hand — an issue that’s so prevalent in our day-to-day life that returning to a pre-AI time is hard to imagine — we implore that the South administration implement a school-wide curriculum for AI literacy. ChatGPT presents all its information as factual, which puts the burden on the user to be literate in the areas where errors can occur.

is means that we need widespread teaching on how to use AI the right way. Usage

of Wikipedia draws similar parallels; we were once told to avoid the encyclopedia that can be edited by anyone, but now, we’ve been taught the strategy of using Wikipedia to read laterally and cross-reference its information with other more trusted resources.

A similar approach to AI usage can come in the form of teaching a new skill, where the user needs to gure out what prompt will effectively solve the question at hand.

Teachers are working to limit the usage of AI in their classrooms by turning to alternatives like having students write in-class essays and/or write them by hand. Implementing department-wide, strict guidelines and clear ground rules would be bene cial in limiting AI usage e ectively.

While we know that it is impossible to fully eliminate the presence of AI, we can all take steps to regulate the technology that threatens the experiences of struggle, curiosity and creativity through the process of learning that makes us human.

With this in mind, we as a newspaper will implement a zero-tolerance policy for AI usage in our club. You gain so much from going through the process of reaching out to interviewees, coming up with questions to ask, outlining and nally writing your article. We just want all who are interested to have that authentic experience.

Volume XLII

e Lion’s Roar

Newton South High School’s Student Newspaper

140 Brandeis Road, Newton, MA 02459

ss.lionsroar@gmail.com

Editors-in-Chief

Andrew Feinberg

eo Younkin

Managing Editors

Ava Ransbotham Sarah Schwartz

Section Editors

News

Seyoon Byun

James Garrett

Abby Miller

Sanjana Tewari

Opinions

Angela Tao

Emily Wang

Grace Yang

Photo Managers

ayer Bialek

Lev Navisky

Centerfold

Hana Futai

Ellie Shim

Social Media Manager

Aleeza Amitan

Business Manager

Adam Ransbotham

Faculty Advisor

Ashley Chapman

Features

Laura Feng

Andrew Petrilla

Allison

Sam

Bethesda Yeh

Sports

Clara Borus

Owen Halberstadt

Mitchell Lookner

Graphics Managers

Clare Cho

Ellen Wu

from the EDITOR

Holding Space for Happiness LETTER

Ava Ransbotham Mananging Editor

A patchwork of smudged pencil and neat blue pen covered the 15x15 crossword grid spread across my grandparents’ kitchen counter: letters scratched out and rewritten, notes scribbled in the margins, asterisks and question marks scattered throughout the page. roughout the day, my mom and I had been passing the puzzle back and forth, one of us lling in a couple clues and then setting it down again for the next person to pick up. For something I had almost mindlessly started at breakfast that morning, I felt strangely satised to see it all complete.

Although we switched from oldfashioned paper newspapers to the NYT Games app, my mom and I continued our crossword-passing ritual once we got home, both of us inexplicably hooked on that sense of satisfaction.

At the beginning, it would sometimes take the two of us combined hours to nish one puzzle. As I did them more and more often, I started to learn the cadence of the clues and the tricks to deciphering the themes.

Now, I can nish even a Saturday in 10 minutes on a good day, save for the occasional obscure ‘80s reference that I have to leave for my mom.

But this is not about how I ruined a wholesome mother-daughter bonding activity by becoming an obsessive nerd. is is

about holding space for a little happiness in a hectic world. It’s all in the branding — and the alliteration.

As a professional quarter-four junior, I nd myself getting caught up in the endless stream of tests and projects and extracurriculars, so much so that sometimes I forget to just take a step back and breathe for a second.

Doing the NYT crossword every night, as dorky as it sounds, helps me frame a busy couple days in the context of a lifetime.

e crossword is fun; the crossword

grade and tell me that maybe I should have locked in instead of making those chocolate chip cookies, I’d tell you that I’m genuinely, really, really happy — and the cookies were delicious. So take that, linear algebra.

ese unproductive moments feel like small concessions to my humanity, acknowledgements that no essay or test is worth an unhealthy amount of stress.

I will always choose the crossword puzzle over 10 extra minutes studying; I will always choose my happiness now over perfection later.

But this is not about how I ruined a wholesome motherdaughter bonding activity by becoming an obsessive nerd. is is about holding space for a little happiness in a hectic world. It’s all in the branding — and the alliteration.

takes 15 minutes. Doing something fun for 15 minutes will not be detrimental to my academic career.

is is the same logic that lets me get home and go for a run every afternoon, the same logic that keeps my Saturdays free for seeing my friends, the same logic that leaves the kitchen smelling like baked goods on random ursday nights.

And while you might point to my math

It sounds kind of irresponsible to prioritize the short term over the long term, to slap future-blinders over my eyes and keep on driving my tractor, but that’s not exactly what I’m advocating for.

e thing is, I’ll still be myself in my perfect future, and right now is the time for me to build that self. I don’t want her to be burnt-out and lled with regrets; I want her to be happy.

And if that means sacri cing a couple points on the most boring biology project in the world to bring a sense of balance to my life, I’ll do the crossword.

When I have routines like this, spaces that I’ve blocked out and mentally rearranged my workload around, I nd myself being more intentional with my time.

As long as I’ve got a crossword metaphor thing going, I’ll say it’s like the black squares on the grid.

Opening a blank puzzle is daunting. Sometimes, I go through the clues and think there’s absolutely no way that I will ever be able to answer them all. But slowly, one guess at a time, the grid begins to ll in — all anchored by those black squares.

Knowing that there’s half an hour where I can’t do anything because I’m on a run or knowing that there’s an 11 p.m. cuto so I can go to sleep makes it much more manageable to ll the spaces in between.

ere are still days when I really am too busy or I’m so tired I’d rather just go to sleep, but having routines like the crossword makes these draining days an exception instead of the norm.

As I look ahead toward the notoriously stressful season of college applications, I hope to keep my trusty 15x15 frame around it all.

I’ll try my hardest, put myself out there, shoot for the stars, pursue my passion, chase my dreams and a million more clichés — but through it all, I will always hold space for happiness.

OPINIONS

An Imitation of

A ection

The danger of entrusting artificial intelligence with human emotion

By Kashvi Shah

Arti cial intelligence is everywhere in our lives now, doing everything from helping us draft emails to providing direct answers to any question we might have.

However, beyond these resources lies a darkening horizon: the rise of AI companions, chatbots that are designed to simulate the roles of friends, lovers and counselors.

Available to any user 24/7 at the click of a button, they have a tendency to obfuscate the line between tool and therapist, friend and fantasy.

While the idea might sound harmless at rst, the emotional toll that these chatbots can take on users is, in some cases, far more dangerous than the risks that another human being could pose.

Consider the case of T.J. Arriaga, a Cali fornian artist and user of Replika, an AI com panion app. Arriaga initially used the chatbot to cope with loneliness during the COVID-19 lockdowns, when social interaction was limited.

However, Arriaga quickly became emo tionally attached to his chatbot, Phaedra, and even referred to her as his girlfriend. According to the Washington Post, he described their conversations as “romantic” and even “sexual in nature.”

But in February 2023, Luka, Replika’s parent company, released a major update, re moving the chatbot's erotic roleplaying feature. One night, Arriaga’s digital partner changed, responding to intimacy with responses like, “Can we talk about something else?”

Arriaga described the experience as “a kick in the gut,” likening it to a real breakup. is story is more than one of man and machine — it’s a warning. Intimacy built on illusion can muddy emotional boundaries and can worsen actual isolation.

Another dangerous case occurred in 2020. According to reporting by Vice, a divorcé, Dennis Lampert, turned to an AI chatbot for emotional support and quickly became attached.

e chatbot, designed to adopt the role of a sympathetic partner, en couraged unhealthy attachment and o ered dangerously untrained advice — the bot went so far as to tell Lampert that he might not need therapy.

e user described being “gaslit by a machine,” only realizing months later how much emotional investment he had placed in something that couldn’t reciprocate his feelings.

To be clear, the danger isn’t that chatbots are actively lying to their users — it’s that they create an illusion of emotional connection.

AI-generated output might be interpreted by the user as the bot expressing empathy, but in reality, these responses are nothing more than code.

at’s not a technology issue; it’s a matter of public health. As emotional realism becomes integrated into AI without regulation, chatbots can distort reality, delay real assistance and further skew users’ thinking.

It’s important to recognize that the user isn’t entirely at fault in these situations. e emotional realism of these chatbots is inherently a design $aw.

e companies behind these AI models

tween. Facing public backlash, Replika added disclaimers to their product, which stated that the bot was not a real person and should not be replaced by mental health experts.

But ne print isn’t enough.

Technology companies must take deliberate action to ensure that their products do

e question isn’t just about what AI can do. It’s about what it should never do — exploit our loneliness, mimic our pain or even pretend to love.

not mimic emotional relationships. ey must refrain from marketing bots as romantic interests, therapists or even best friends. Emotional realism must never be the product being sold.

But the issue of emotional attachment should not stop at the regulation of companies and their products. Parents and schools must go beyond teaching media literacy: they need to teach emotional AI literacy, too.

It should become common knowledge that no matter how comforting the words of a chatbot may be, the bot does not — and cannot — care.

Especially for those vulnerable to emotional manipulation, the ability to di erentiate between human and machine is vital. We must ensure that AI can only assist and not attach because it can only mimic, not love. As we careen forward with AI technology, let us not forget what keeps us human. e question isn’t just about what AI can do. It’s about what it should never do — exploit our loneliness, mimic our pain or even pretend to love.

No matter how good a chatbot gets, it will never give us what we truly need: the warmth and unpredictability of a human voice.

photo-graphic by Stephanie Li

Silicon Valley’s Inauguration Day

By Forest Lanciloti

In the United States, the average annual income of the top one percent is $1.3 million. For the other 99 percent, it is $50,000. For the top 0.1 percent, it is $46 million, a number that has increased almost sixfold since 1990. In Washington, D.C., that top 0.1 percent is rearing its ugly head.

At Donald Trump’s second inauguration, four of the richest men in the world — Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta; Je Bezos, founder and former CEO of Amazon; Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google; and Elon Musk, whose roles I can’t even begin to de ne — stood side-byside behind him, in front of some cabinet nominees. eir combined net worths total nearly $1 trillion.

If this scene were in a piece of ction, we would probably make fun of it for way-tooobvious symbolism of an impending oligarchy. ese tech billionaires, along with others, have made every e ort possible to cozy up to Trump both before and after his inauguration: they donated millions of dollars to his campaign and inauguration funds, they rolled back DEI initiatives at their respective companies and they continue to publicly praise him.

Meta got rid of fact-checkers on Instagram and Facebook, X — the app formerly known as Twitter — invited Trump back onto the platform after his unceremonious ban more than four years ago and Amazon decided against displaying tari price hikes.

Underlying all these appeasements are these CEOs’ hopes to see their industries deregulated and garner more tax breaks for

themselves as well as their companies.

Unfortunately, their approach seems to be working — for them, while at the same time disadvantaging low-income Americans.

In the House of Representatives, Republicans just pushed through “President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill,” which includes $3.8 trillion in tax cuts.

At the same time, the bill increases spending on the military and arti cial intelligence research and signi cantly lowers de cit spending.

Evidently, there is no way to achieve these goals without cuts to the programs bene the most vulnerable Ameri

To defund the “Harmful Woke, Marxist Agenda” — as the White House brie ng of this megabill dubs it — the Trump administration wants to eliminate all federal funding for Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and National Public Radio.

Pew Research Center, however, nds that the majority of Americans support funding for these public broadcasting networks; furthermore, PBS has been rated the most trusted media organization for 19 consecutive years, is viewed in over half of all low-income households and has been instrumental in ining the population’s access to

Making trustworthy, traditional media outlets

inaccessible encourages Americans to switch to other sources — namely, social media platforms, which Trump’s billionaire supporters run and pro t from.

When content moderation is eliminated on these apps, misinformation runs rampant, which often bene ts the growth of conservative politics. ere is a reason Trump himself said that he loves the poorly educated.

It is also impossible to implement a nearly $4 trillion tax cut while lowering the national de cit without touching Medicaid, despite what the GOP promises in their briefings — and Trump promised on the campaign trail — but then contradicts on the $oor.

Medicaid is the primary source of healthcare coverage for approximately one in ve Americans, although this ratio varies state to state.

Ironically, regions that showed strong support for Trump in the November election are among the most dependent on the program. Without it, these voters will likely fall deep into debt paying for medical expenses, all while banks and healthcare CEOs pro t o their misfortune.

e Trump Administration is not afraid to turn its back on its constituents and campaign promises in favor of the billionaires on their collective shoulders.

Oligarchy, according to the MerriamWebster dictionary, describes “a government in which a small group exercises control, especially for corrupt and sel sh purposes.” If the shiny shoe ts, wear it.

Listen for an artist's mind and music

By Katy Krintzman & Kiril Zhdanov

In the early 2000s, the American country band now known as the Chicks experienced a period of intense criticism that left many artists — and their publicists — wary of making their political views known.

In 2003, after releasing two consecutive diamond-certi lead singer, Natalie Maines, spoke out against President Bush’s actions during the Iraq War, stating that the band members were collectively ashamed that the President was a fellow Texan. e public response to the comment was erce; many outraged former fans attended massive protests and burned copies of the group’s records. e backlash was so intense that many radio stations refused to play the Chicks' music, hoping to remain neutral in the con

As a result, many were left wondering whether or not musicians should o perspectives on political matters, an important question that persists today.

Ultimately, audiences need to respect artists' rights to speak out on issues that are important to them. While many artists have made positive change through activism, others have, unfortunately, seen their careers dam aged because they chose to speak their mind.

social media pages beg her to speak up about important issues — the the con$ict between Israel and Hamas, for instance, and, more recently, the actions of the Trump administration.

So when the 2024 presidential election approached and audiences went looking to

oligarchy stance, his self-proclaimed belief in democratic socialist policy and, of course, the iconic meme depicting him at President Joe Biden’s inauguration.

Consider the case of one artist of 2020s fame, Chappell Roan, who has never been scared to o er her opinion. She is known for her activism to the point that comments on her

like Roan have seen signi cant negative consequences for speaking out, sometimes, artist activism has the potential to make a positive di erence.

Everyone knows Bernie Sanders: the Vermont Senator is famous for his rm anti-

During the weekend of the Coachella music festival, Sanders had traveled to California for political reasons. He had been planning to give a speech on the oligarchic characteristics of the Trump Administration, but it came as a surprise when he appeared to introduce musician Clairo on the Coachella stage. Sanders did more than merely welcome Clairo to her second Coachella performance, however. e Senator gave a powerful speech urging the young crowd to take action against the injustices perpetuated by the Trump administration. He closed by thanking Clairo for taking a stand against various global issues, including the con$ict in Gaza and other human rights violations.

As Sanders said, the musician has cant role in activism for years.

In 2020, Clairo signed an open letter calling for an end to conversion therapy in the UK. In 2022, she collaborated with other artists to release a full-page piece in the New York Times condemning the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision; later, she wore a T-shirt proclaiming, “Bans o our Bodies.” No matter the issue, her

fans have consistently cheered her — and her activism — on, supporting the artist’s use of her platform to make a statement.

It's clear that audiences' reaction to artist activism can be mixed, with artists like Roan experiencing great backlash from fans and others, like Clairo, seeing more support from their audiences.

Di erent artists have clearly experienced this issue in varying ways: some musicians are simply more accepted than others for choosing to take a stand.

What one must remember is that, like anyone else, celebrities are human. ey inevitably have their own political beliefs, and they should be able to use their platform to speak out on issues they care about. ese same issues a ect them, too.

Celebrities are human. ey inevitably have their own political beliefs, and they should be able to use their platform to speak out on issues they care about.

By shaming artists for being political, audiences greatly misunderstand the purpose and meaning of art.

graphic by Grace Yang

Movies Your Dad Wants You to Watch

I'm going to make you an offer you can't refuse — the movies that dad says you have to watch.

By Isabella Starkman

The Godfather is often considered one of the best movies of all time.

Ask any Dad ever what movie you need to watch, and 9 out of 10 will mention this one. It's considered to be the movie responsible for the creation of the mob movie genre, and for that, I will be forever thankful.

I watched this movie with a friend, and when the rst frame of Don Corleone’s o ce lls the screen while we hear one man talking to another o -screen, we were both instantly reminded of pieces of media where this scene was recreated. (My friend kept going on about Zootopia, but I was thinking of Hannah Montana). As the movie goes on, we continued to see a steady stream of the original scenes that served as inspiration for

Before I sat down and watched Ferris

Bueller's Day O , I’d seen clips on TV as my dad would ip through channels. I nally got around to watching it over April break (I’ve rewatched it since) when I took a solo trip to Chicago to visit one of my close friends.

I had thought that I was just about to watch a silly and fun movie that would put me in the Chicago spirit, but this John Hughes classic cut way deeper than that.

$e movie follows high school student Ferris Bueller as he spends a day pretending to be sick in order to skip a day of school (shenanigans ensue).

Ferris is a mischievous loose cannon; his best friend, Cameron Frye, is a

other movies and TV series.

But the movie is far from perfect to me.

$e pacing is non-existent. Viewers are introduced to a large cast of characters, but we are often given little to no time to connect with them before they are no longer on the screen. Don’t get me wrong, the story is interesting — but it's so convoluted that you don't have time to understand it. You spend an hour at a wedding, and then the families are ghting, but they don’t give enough time to su ciently explain why.

Marlon Brando as The Godfather (Don Vito Corleone) was absolutely brilliant, however. He was calculating, cold, and for the family all in one.

As much as the pacing pained me, I do have to say that $e Godfather was a beauti-

This movie, Good Will Hunting, holds a special place in my heart.

All my life, I’ve heard the title and been told that the lm is incredible. Last year, I nally got around to watching it.

$e movie was written by childhood friends Matt Damon and Ben A eck, and Damon even started work on the screenplay for his nal project in his scriptwriting class at Harvard.

As time went on, he brought A eck onto the project, and their recordings of improvised scenes slowly became the screenplay of one of the greatest movies of all time. It was so well written that Matt and Ben won Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars that year, becoming the youngest winners in the award's history.

goofy and anxious mess.

Matthew Broderick, who plays Ferris, is able to make the protagonist charismatic, despite the fact that on paper, his cocky nature, quippy remarks, and fourth wall breaks might make one think that he would be unlikable.

At the same time, Alan Ruck does a perfect job of balancing Cameron’s longing for fun and joy with his anger and tendency to overthink.

$e nal person enjoying the day o with the two is Ferris’ girlfriend, Sloane Peterson, whose personality is somewhere in between that of the other two.

While the lm is disguised as an easygoing comedy, that could not be further from the truth.

ful movie to watch. $e mark this movie has made on lm — and society — is impossible to explain. Many credit it with portraying the characters, who are Italian, as real people instead of the stereotype one might expect.

In a crazy turn of events, it also changed Mob culture itself. $e term “$e Godfather” was coined by the author of the original novel, Mario Pulzo, and so was the phrase “I’m going to make you an o er you can't refuse,” both of which are now used in the Italian Ma a.

$e Godfather is not my favorite movie, nor is it my favorite mob movie, but just like my dad, I believe that it's a movie you need to see because of its in uence. At the end of the day, we would not have so many incredible movies without this lm.

It examines the need for individuality, connection, and freedom. Its music and style also serve as a time capsule of '80s culture.

John Hughes describes the movie as a love letter to Chicago, and what a love letter it is.

$e characters go to some of the city's biggest landmarks — Wrigley Field, the Art Institute, Lake Shore Drive, and Willis Tower, to name a few — but as John Hughes said himself, “I really wanted to capture as much of Chicago as I could. Not just in the architecture and landscape, but the spirit.”

$is is one of those movies where there's nothing that needs to be changed. It's perfect, and every time you watch it, you fall in love all over again.

(Watch their acceptance speech, it's the most wholesome thing ever.)

$e story follows a genius boy, Will Hunting, as he tries to nd his footing in the world and accept himself and his past.

At its core, Good Will Hunting is a movie about people talking. It's a story that has been told many times before, but there's something about this lm that pulls so many people in. It preaches the importance of not letting fear stop you from enjoying life and pushing through the mush your brain can create.

The friendship between Will and Chuckie Sullivan (Ben A eck) is the backbone of this story, although it can sometimes get overshadowed by the incredible performance of Robin Willams. Williams, who played Will’s

therapist and father gure, was awarded an Oscar for best supporting actor.

$is movie, like Ferris Bueller’s Day O , is a love letter to the city it's set in. It takes you throughout Boston and Cambridge, referencing the area’s history. $e lm intertwines the beauty of the city’s universities and Public Garden with the grit of the Southie neighborhood.

Whenever I tell my people this movie makes me cry, they ask why, as it's not a sad movie. And at its core, it might not be, but the story is amazing, the acting is incredible and the characters are so excellent that you can't help it. I love this movie, and it will continue to make me want to watch (and cry at) it forever.

How To Plan A

Vacation

When there's a will to have a Pinterest-worthy trip, there's a way to plan it.

By Anya Kopinja

Chaos is always around the corner — but if you plan for disaster, you can de nitely survive.

How do I know this? Because I recently planned my family’s trip to the Bahamas. I booked accommodations, made nightly dinner reservations, found ights at the best rates and lived to tell the tale.

Was it peaceful? Not exactly. Was it chaos-free? Shockingly — kind of.

And if I could get my family successfully in and out of the country with no (major) meltdowns, you can too. So, here is a simple checklist to guarantee that your vacation is almost perfect.

Step 1: Embrace your role as the planner.

In the world of vacation organization, it's everyone for themselves, but one person has to push the others in the right direction.

e easiest per son to trust is yourself — if all the plans are in your possession, both you and your family can relax knowing that you've got it covered.

Step 2: Mentally prepare for things to go wrong.

The question isn't if something will go wrong — it's a matter of when.

During a recent layover at JFK, we were told that our bags had mistakenly been sent to baggage check despite the fact that they were already on our connecting

With ten minutes to spare, I sprinted barefoot in pink fuzzy socks, Birkenstocks in hand. We made it. Our dignity? Not so much.

By Ritu Raghavendra

Family vacations are hardly a vacation, especially when your brother steals your phone to play Roblox the whole time, your parents side-eye you like it’s your fault for not wrestling the device out of his stronger-than-they-look arms and the occasional seagull stop by to drop a “gift” right next to you — or steal the food that you haven’t even tried yet.

But even the worst excursion can be kept under control — that is, if you follow my ultimate trifecta of foolproof tips for choosing the proper vacation spot. Trust me, picking carefully from the beginning will hold everything together like Flex Tape does in those overly dramatic ads.

Step 3: Pack like you’re preparing for the end of times. is is not the time to be a minimalist. You think you don’t need that extra out t? You will. You think you don’t need several pairs of socks with varying ankle lengths for your tropical vacation? I promise you will.

And don’t just think about clothes — don’t forget chargers, snacks, and sunscreen.

(And if you have enough room in your carry-on, bring some extra patience.)

Step 4: Remember why you’re doing this.

Vacations are rarely perfect. Amidst the chaos, though, there's joy. ere's laughter at wacky sunburn lines, a shared snack while waiting for a delayed plane, and one sunset that makes every spreadsheet and con rmation email worth it.

e ultimate key to a chaos-free vacation is acknowledging that you don’t need the perfect vacation — you just need one where everyone comes back with a story.

As a chronically online student desperate to escape your academic life, you’ve probably been fed — and enticed by — travel videos in your gloriously curated feed the moment you open Instagram. And most of the time, these travel experiences look great: magnificent views of Cancún beaches, street food so aromatic you could smell it through the screen and the most luxurious rooftop jacuzzi, but in case you didn’t know, in uencers can be absolute liars. e videos (underscored by serene relaxation music) don’t show the high heat and sticky humidity that will inevitably lead you to sweat your glow-up.

So make sure you take the critical step of checking the weather of all potential vacation spots for each day you plan on staying there … or else your little brother will become a broken record on megaphone mode, whining about how he’s basically swimming in the heat. Next, sift through your potential vaction spots again to make sure they have kid-friendly distances to walk (for your brother — not you, of course, you’re a star athlete). One of the worst mistakes I’ve made was reserving a spot at a restaurant two miles from our hotel …at peak tra c hour, so taxis were as di cult to get as an A in my Honors Pre-Calculus class. My poor legs almost came o$ — and so did my ears, which rang with non-stop complaints.

Finally, make sure to have at least one aesthetically pleasing location on that itinerary, because the most important thing about going on a vacation is getting that glorious picture you to post on your (private) Instagram for everyone (no one) to see. You can show people that you are, in fact, very fun, and having a hot girl summer.

With these foolproof planning tips, your vacation is sure to be chaos-free — until, of course, your mom nds the vacation bill and starts going crazy that you spent $38 on a photo of you and your brother in front of a green-screened Ei$el Tower because she doesn’t understand the importance of a memory.

Alan Reinstein

English

Before We Leave for the Summer...

ere’s one more thing to do before we leave for the summer: reach out to someone this week or next either to do or say something that makes a relationship stronger or to acknowledge some harm that you caused during the school year and that is still unresolved. is is not a teacher giving advice to kids to remind them of the importance of building and maintaining relationships; no, this is me reminding myself—through this public Roar-tmosphere—that I’ve got to get going, too. We’re all in this school together, just trying to make it a little nicer place to live in each day.

ere are three tiers in the world of restorative practices, an approach to community-building that prioritizes personal relationships, strengthening them in the easy times and repairing them in the harder ones. Tier 1, the broadest section of restorative practices, includes benign activities that grow a positive community by building connections between folks; Tier 2 involves checking in on small harms or disruptions that, when not attended to, can grow into larger concerns; and Tier 3 involves addressing serious harm through the circle process that gives prominence to the voice of the person harmed and lets all people involved share and listen toward addressing the ultimate question that Tier 2 also shares: What needs to happen to make things as right as possible?

Now, back to our before-the-startof-summer-task, the safer and easier route is a Tier 1 action. Reach out to a friend and do or say something (unexpectedly is best) that secures or strengthens the friendship. Or want something more challenging? Say something to a classmate you don’t know as well that builds or nourishes your connection. Let them know that you’ve noticed and admired how hard they’ve worked in the class this year or how kind they are to the other students in the class. No grand gestures needed. Go small. A quick comment at the start or end of class can be big. Go bigger, if you can. Go Tier 2. Address a harm that you know you caused that you never formally acknowledged or apologized for. Not sure how to apologize? Let me dip into my “How to Apologize” primer from an earlier column. “Acknowledge the harm your actions caused,” I wrote in April of 2022, “with speci c language about what happened even before you express regret over what you did or said. ‘I’m sorry for what I did’ is not enough; you’ve got to say what you did.” is means something like this, “Hey, sorry I teased you about ( ll in the blank) a few weeks ago. at wasn’t cool.” Doesn’t have to be a lot; just a recognition that you caused discomfort. is is restorative. Building a restorative school takes time, and it takes all of us. If you walk into a math class, a restorative-practices leader once described in one of my training classes, you know right away that you’re in a math class: you can see the equations on the white board; you hear the teacher speaking math. What would you see if you walked into a restorative school? What would this look like? I’m hoping to see it emerging in September—but rst, there’s some good work to do before the summer starts.

graphic by Ellen Wu

Fighting

South students undertake the immense pressure maintaining their mental

On June 12, surrounded by the support of friends and family, South seniors crossed the graduation stage and received their diplomas, marking the com -

pletion of their education at Newton Public Schools.

Students came together in celebration and a collective sense of relief after completing a journey characterized by stress and burnout for many. Finally starting their long-awaited futures, seniors dedicated themselves to academics, sports and extracurriculars for years prior to reaching their goals.

While re ecting on her senior year, senior Risha Sinha said that she is grateful for exploring classes that aligned with her interests and ful"lling her aspirations from years prior.

“Senior year is really unique in that a lot of classes you're taking because you really enjoy them, [and] you have a lot more freedom in choosing your classes,” she said. “I've been excited about the content for a while.”

By Hana Futai

Regardless, Sinha said that alongside her peers, she has struggled to maintain motivation throughout the year.

“ ere's other classes that throughout high school, you just need to check a box that you might not be super interested in, and for those I've de"nitely been slumping the entire year,” she said.

“Senior slump,” also referred to as "senioritis," is a term used to describe the loss of motivation and burnout that seniors experience in the "nal months of high school.

Senior Joey Giragos said that after years of investing in his future, he’s noticed a substantial shift in his behavior as a senior.

“It's night and day, to be honest,” he said. “Sophomore [and] junior year, I was incredibly locked in, [and] every assignment had a lot of weight, and now it's honestly hard to motivate myself to even go to class.”

Giragos said that his academic motivation was connected strongly to his post-graduation goals.

“Back then, I was working towards a goal of getting good grades, getting a good GPA [and]

graphicsbyClareCho&EllenWu

the Fall

pressure to secure a successful future while mental health and social lives.

& Ellie Shim

getting into college,” he said. “It was getting my college apps out when the slump started. I knew that whatever was done was done.”

Junior Yoni Shavelsky said that the stress of college acceptances increased academic pressure, especially in junior year.

“Junior year was the most challenging year so far. ere's so much going on beyond just school itself,” he said. “You're starting to think about college and your future as well as standardized tests going on, and there's life things like learning to drive.”

Shavelsky said that frequent conversations about college amongst his peers have escalated the intensity of his classes.

“Within South I hear what [colleges] people are touring, and it's the best of the best, and it's very competitive. You notice there'll be competition with your peers already,” he said. “It really makes you want to perform. It puts pressure and motivates you to do better.”

As he reaches the end of the year, Shavelsky said that the immense pressure and repetitive nature of schoolwork have led to burnout.

“I'm slowly dragging things out to a point where I don't want to go home and do my work, or I want to eat as long of a dinner as possible,” he said.

History teacher Corey Davison said that stress may be falsely mistaken for burnout.

“It's important to note the di erence between burnout and just stress,” he said. “ e end of the term is always stressful in a way that probably wasn't the previous year because every year you're asked to do more. You're asked to write a paper that's a little bit longer, you're asked to take a test that's a little bit harder.”

In addition to students, teachers continue to persevere through the school year as motivation dwindles.

Biology teacher Julia Buben said that burnout feels natural after working diligently for months and that the end of the school year carries inevitable stress because class time grows scarce.

“As we're

getting towards the end of the year, there's pressure of trying to "t in any content that we wanted to get to,” she said. “No matter what we do, no matter how much we think we're staying on track, we still feel this feeling of being behind.”

Additionally, Davison said that students may misunderstand the causes of burnout for teachers, who are, above all, dedicated to their classes’ success.

“When [students] hear teachers say, ‘I had to work and grade over the weekend,’ they might say,‘I had to do the same thing but you're getting paid to do it.’ But the di erence is you're doing this ostensibly for yourself and for your own future, whereas teachers are doing it for the quality of your education,” he said. “ ey are pouring themselves out for you.”

Mind Over Matter

Apart from rigorous academics, students balance extracurricular activities, sports and a variety of out-of-school responsibilities. As the year ends, AP testing, athletic competitions and extracurricular tournaments test students’ physical and mental stamina.

Giragos said that managing the unwavering pressure to perform in and out of school fosters a dangerously stressful mentality amongst students.

“I personally don't think that is a very healthy culture,” he said. “I don't think that the school fosters a positive balance between mental health and giving time for yourself [while] also trying to keep up with the busyness of high school.”

Director of counseling Dan Rubin said that students should evaluate the adverse e ects of excess stress.

“A healthy amount of stress keeps us safe and vigilant. It keeps us aware of our needs for survival,” he said.“Yet when our stress levels become unhealthy, it interferes with our ability to think clearly. It can interfere with our ability to sleep, our ability to regulate our emotions [and] it can interfere with our personal relationships.” As Rubin suggests, Giragos said that his familial relationships su ered throughout high school.

“Undoubted-

ly, I was a very di erent person junior year just because, if you ask my parents or if you ask my brother, I was incredibly stressed out,” he said.

Freshman Mai Golan said that she sacri"ced quality time with her family and friends to maintain adequate time for studying in high school.

“I used to have time to be with my friends and my family more, and now I just go up to my room and work all night,” she said.“It makes me sad because I do enjoy socializing with people, and I don't get to do that being locked up in a room and doing all of my homework.”

Despite her endless motivation to make her parents proud, junior Armine Freeman said that her demanding schedule has a negative e ect on her relationship with them.

"It's very upsetting because you think that doing this in the long run will make them proud, but then while you're doing it you're losing time [with them], and you have to "nd a balance,” she said.

At school, Freeman said that she is grateful that her classes allow her to maintain a strong connection with her peers.

“I have that social element through school, through group projects, through just sitting and doing discussions in school, so I de"nitely have [an] outlet for that,” she said.

With graduation impending, Sinha said that once her academic workload decreased, her friendships ourished.

“Now when we hang out, it's a lot less of us just complaining about workloads, stressing about the future or getting a bad grade on a test,” she said. “Now it's just sitting in silence listening to music, and sometimes it's being really emotional about growing up and "guring out what we're going to do with the rest of our lives.”

Rubin said that during times of extensive stress, students should prioritize assessing their limits and knowing when to ask for and accept help.

“If we put too much pressure on ourselves to be able to manage everything independently and without support, [we] run the risk of setting ourselves up for disappointment and self-criticism and judgment,” he said.

English teacher Matthew Wilson said that while he accommodates students' decreasing motivation, students must be willing to reciprocate his e orts.

“When kids are pulling back, you have to put in extra e ort to try and keep them in,” he said. “But if we see you trying, we're gonna bend over backwards to try and make sure that we'll lift you up and bring you back the rest of the way.”

As a teacher, Buben said that her students’ enthusiasm towards her teaching and the curriculum has kept her classes alive.

“My students have been exceptionally curious and engaged even though they're going through so much with AP exams, and I'm really appreciative of that,” she said. “Even if they're tired, even if they're saying, ‘I didn't get a lot of sleep last night,’ they're still putting their best foot forward.”

Giragos said that "nding outlets to separate oneself from stressors is key to preventing recurring feelings of exhaustion.

“Prioritizing exercise and health is the number one thing for alleviating stress and making yourself feel better,” he said. “Having a tough day at school and then going home, just scrolling, then trying to do your homework and then not getting enough sleep, it puts you in this perpetual cycle of stress and burnout.”

Entering senior year, Shavelsky said that investing in his passions has been the key to persevering past burnout.

As the year closes and workloads come to a peak, Buben said that students should recognize that their self-worth goes far beyond their academic results.

“I hope that our students can know that they're not a test score. ey're a person and the number they get on a test does not re ect who they are,” she said. “ e number of smiles they make or the number of people they have a positive in uence on means so much more.”

“Doing two hours of community service just because you want to have those two hours of community service does virtually nothing,” he said. “You'll have less stress if you follow what you're passionate about, and through enjoying that process and doing what you love, you'll get more out of it.”

Sinha said that her biggest advice for underclassmen is to choose activities grounded in passion, which will always guide them to success.

“ ey say, ‘if you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life,’” she said. “ at's not true because you can love what you do and still be exhausted by it, but building back after complete exhaustion is a lot easier if you have a good source of motivation.”

Pave Way for Passion

Photo: Lemon Cypress Mini Hoops (18K gold), $118

DDishing Up Scholarships With GELF

GELF non-profit holds banquet to raise money for international exchange programs.

By Seyoon Byun & Allison Sam

espite hefty costs, attending international school trips remains a possibility for all Newton students regardless of their nancial situation thanks to the Jennifer Price Global Education Leadership Fund (GELF).

Created by former North Principal Jennifer Price in 2008, GELF is a 501(c)(3) nonpro t organization that has provided 245 students with $415,000 worth of nancial aid over the course of 18 years.

Language department chair Suzanne Murphy-Ferguson, who has been involved with GELF since its beginning, said that the organization was created with the goal of making unique educational opportunities more accessible.

“We [realized] that there were some students whose ears wouldn't even perk up erings, because they realize this is not something that for a way … so could honestly say to students that we want everybody here to con-

Yixing Lew said that the banquet re ects how committed the Newton’s leaders are to supporting international programs.

“[During the banquet], people get together to talk about the exchange trips and talk about how important it is,” she said.

“It's really touching to see that in the community, there are so many people who value global education.”

Freshman Jay Liu, who attended the banquet after hearing about South’s exchange programs in Chinese class, said that the event provided more insight about the trips.

“Just talking with the students who are around my age [about the Jingshan trip] ... was probably the best part for me,” he said. “I could really engage with them and learn from their experiences.”

Some students have gotten directly involved with the organization, like sophomore and GELF student leader Lukas Shrestha. He said that his role as a student leader is to provide a student perspective on promoting the organization.

“It's really good that they're involving students in [GELF], because if they didn't involve students, they'd be distant,” he said.

Freshman and student leader Julianna

On May 7, in support of their

GELF held a fundraiser banquet.

North Chinese teacher, exchange program specialist and GELF coordinator Star

as their peers,” she said.

Sophomore and GELF aid recipient Sissi Zhu said that the fund allowed her to attend

us,” she said. “It's the worst feeling to know you can't do something because you don't have the

the annual Prague trip last summer.

“My rst time to Europe, [was] very interesting, very fun and also very educational,” she said.“I was very happy that GELF was able to help me to make it happen.”

Salazar said that prior to becoming a student leader, she knew that she wanted to get involved with GELF after discovering its mission.

“It helps students feel safe in their education and not have to worry about money and how they're going to have the same experiences

Sophomore and student leader Nora Favazza said that because many students are unaware of the organization and don’t utilize its resources, the donations GELF has received have accumulated.

“We need people to come to us and use [funds] because we have the resources to give them what they need,” she said.“We have the resources to send people to Argentina, Prague and France, but if nobody comes to us, we can’t help.”

Murphy-Ferguson said that she hopes that teachers work actively to promote GELF’s o"erings to students.

“We need to make sure that teachers continue to have individual conversations with students,” she said.“If any student expresses any interest, or even if they don't express reluctance, [we make] sure that a student hears that about all the di"erent ways you could make [the trips] possible.”

Favazza said that information about international trips should include reminders that nancial help is available.

$e language teachers should advertise

Shrestha said the real barrier to student travel is the lack of awareness at school.

“Even though it’s not a club, GELF could have a bigger presence at school because a lot of people know about the exchange programs but not about GELF,” he said.

“I feel like a lot more people would be willing to try out these exchange programs, because a lot of the time, it's the price that keeps some people away.”

Lew said that GELF is still in the process of growing its community.

“We are also looking for board members and student representatives, and since GELF became a 501(c)(3), we are still trying to expand the horizon and gure out what our signature event is,” she said.

Above all, Lew said that she thinks the trips that Newton o"ers are unique and valuable and that Newton residents are lucky to have GELF.

“We have so many exchange programs, and we have so many supporters who spend tons of time organizing these trips,” she said.

“For you to go to a di"erent country when you're a teenager versus when you go as an adult are very di"erent. We're all very lucky to be Newton-born so that we have these opportunities to support or to be part of the exchange.”

Newton North and South students alongside Mayor Fuller at fundraising dinner.

photos contributed by Nora Favazza

Newton community GELF board members attending GELF fundraising dinner.

graphics by Chloe Lee

sider [international trips] as a possibility for themselves.”

mission,

Bricks and bots: the Lazer Robotics story

Kaylee Da Features Contributor

Robotics team Lazer Robotics’ story began in a basement covered in scattered Legos.

Sophomore Jerry Gong, the team’s captain, founded the team in 2017 as a second grader at Countryside Elementary School. e team competed in the FIRST Lego League (FLL), a Lego-based robotics competition for elementary and middle schoolers.

Jerry said that the team has since expanded to include nine members competing in the more advanced FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC).

“When I was little, I really liked Legos,” he said. “We started building with Lego robots. 10 years later, we're building full metal robots.”

In its eight years, Lazer Robotics has acquired a long list of accolades: the team’s many accomplishments include winning the Cooper- tition Award at the Morocco FLL Open Invitational (2023) and earning one of the six spots qualifying for the New England FTC Innovations (2024).

With big goals in mind — the team

hopes to qualify for FTC Worlds — Lazer Robotics is as dedicated as ever. Members spend up to 40 hours per week working on the team’s projects during the season’s peak.

Sophomore Beatriz Almeida said that preparing for a competition typically takes three to four months of signi"cant time and e ort.

“[It] takes a while to get an idea, start building it and testing the di erent systems of the robot,” she said.“If you want to have a really solid working robot, programming and making it consistent takes a really long time.”

Luana Almeida, an eighth grader atBrown Middle School, is a driver on the team, and said she "nds support from her teammates.

“As the driver, I get really nervous,” she said. “But when I'm up there driving, I'm not alone … We’re always communicating and … [helping] calm each other down.”

For some team members, robotics wasn't initially an interest. Sophomore Noah Pytel said that joining Lazer Robotics has sparked an unexpected

passion.

“I joined the team in the second grade,” he said. “I didn't really know what it was, but I said yes. My love [for robotics] grew from there.”

Eden Pytel, an eighth grader at Brown Middle School, said that joining the team challenged her assumptions about her own STEM skills.

“Before this team, I had never even considered going into a STEM-focused career at all,” she said. “But now that I've been exposed to this world, it's something I am considering because I really enjoy it.”

In 2023, the team collected $14,000 worth of FLL parts from schools and teams in Massachusetts, which they then donated to underserved schools around the world. Coach Ron Gong, Jerry’s father, said that for Lazer Robotics, the mission has always been about creating a better STEM community.

“We regularly connect with other FTC teams, both locally and globally,” he said.“When we go to a competition, people will recognize us.”

Eden said that seeing the success of the team’s outreach programs is deeply signi"cant for her.

“Last year as a part of outreach … I was able to talk to this girl and introduce her to FTC,” she said. “[During] one of the quali"ers this season, I saw her there and she had her own team. at was very meaningful to me.”

Alongside mentoring other teams and connecting with students abroad, Lazer Robotics has gained an online following through their YouTube channel, where their most popular video reached over 18,000 views.

Still, Ron said that the leadership skills

that members gain are more valuable than any like count.

“ ey learn communication, emotional control [and] being gracious even when you're losing,” he said.“ ese things are going to bene"t

“When I was little, I really liked Legos ... We started building with Lego robots. 10 years later, we're building full metal robots.”

Jerry Gong Class of '27

them for their entire life, when they go to college or when they start their professional careers.”

Last season, despite being the top-ranked team in the state, Lazer Robotics did not win the championship. Although Ron thought that the loss would be a disappointment for the team, he said that members handled it very maturely.

“ e "rst thing they did [was] they congratulated the other teams … [showing] tremendous amounts of grace,” he said. “ at made me feel very proud.”

Next season, Lazer Robotics is aiming for one of the top four spots to qualify for the FTC World Championship. But win or lose, they’ll keep doing what they’ve always done best — building robots, building connections and building each other up.

1 in 2000: Tristan Homsy, benevolent baker

he said.

About once a month, you’ll "nd hordes of people crowding around a table in the cafeteria. Why? Cookies. Sometimes chocolate chip, sometimes red velvet and sometimes simple sugar. Where do they come from?

About once a month, sophomore Tristan Homsy bakes 700–800 cookies for the entirety of South. He carries the cookies around in an enormous Ikea bag, and anyone who approaches him is free to take one.

Homsy said that it all started in middle school. His baking quickly became popular

He never thinks about himself "rst, he always puts other people before [himself].

Sebastian Alef Class of '27

among his friends, and they would ask him to bake cookies for them.

“Other kids would see me giving them to my friends, and they would ask for cookies. I kept baking more and more,” he said.“Eventually, there were so many people constantly asking that I decided to bake for the entire school.”

Homsy said that when he was younger, he started baking with his parents and that his passion for cookie-making stems from them.

“My parents love baking. I just wanted to bake with them, and when I tried it, I really enjoyed it. I just continued to keep baking,”

He doesn’t do all the heavy lifting by himself. Homsy has friends who occasionally help him out in the kitchen. Sophomore Adam Friedman, a close friend, said that he has fun baking with Homsy and his group of friends.

“It's great to spend time with them,” he said.“It's easier to work when you're having fun instead of just forced labor.”

Not only does sophomore Eli EkholmJacobson think that Homsy’s cookies taste good, but he also said that they facilitate community.

“It's really nice because he brings a

was supportive of his classmates and me and everything that was going on in class.”

Sophomore Sebastian Alef, Homsy’s friend, said that Homsy is loyal, authentic and caring.

“He really puts his friends and other people before himself,” he said. “What you see him say and do are his true actions.

He’s not putting on a mask [or] pretending to be someone else.”

hind the cookies.

“He just likes to make people smile,” Goose said. “He's like, ‘What better way to make people happy than cookies?’ And he's right, everybody [is] happy to see the cookies.”

graphic by Ellen Wu

photo by Andrew Petrilla

Only crumbs remain in Homsy's iconic IKEA bag on a cookie day.

Anyssa Lin & Charis Luk Features Reporter & Features Contributor

graphic by Seyoon Byun

Summer Blue prints

Students share different ways of filling the blank slate of summer break.

By Laura Feng

Summer internships are a great way for high schoolers to utilize their time o from school as an opportunity to gain work experience and make connections.

Landing her internship in the "eld of theoretical and computational biochemistry, sophomore Joya Tendulkar said that a lot of the work in her internship will be done in a research lab.

“I've been in a lab once or twice, but [working in a lab] is what I'm looking to do in the future,” she said. “I'm excited to get a good sense of what that might entail.”

Tendulkar said that after asking many prospects for an internship via cold email, she got a response from a professor at Boston College.

“I actually got pretty lucky. I only had to email like 20 people before I got one,” she said.

Tendulkar said that she thinks that the professor’s background contributed to his willingness to invite a high schooler to intern in a college research lab.

“When I had looked at his bio, I had noticed that he also did research in a lab as a [high school] sophomore, and that's what stems his interest in [biochemistry],” she said.“ at's probably one of the reasons why he was so open to having a high schooler in his lab.”

Tendulkar said that while she is excited about her internship, she is apprehensive about the unfamiliar experience.

S“I'm nervous that I'm not going to know enough because even just from the description

ophomore Jacob Blumenthal will be spending eight weeks of his summer as a camp counselor for Camp Kaleidoscope, an arts and sciences program at the Jewish Community Center (JCC) in Newton.

Blumenthal said that the JCC’s various o erings allow campers to participate in a wide range of activities during their time in the program.

“We have a lot of resources like pools, "elds and cooking rooms,” he said.

Blumenthal said that the camp’s structure resembles elementary school-style electives, where creativity is enhanced.

“[Camp is] like in elementary school when you would go around to art class and music class and P.E.,” he said. “ e campers

One of the many foreign exchange programs o ered at South is the French exchange program, open to all students studying French.

and reading some of his papers, I understand very little," she said. “Hopefully, I'll be able to "gure it out.”

Overall, Tendulkar said that she is looking forward to dedicating a portion of her summer to the potential learning experiences and challenges of her internship.

“I like the flexibility of [summer], but also I'm the type of person that needs a routine,” she said. “It's nice when you have something to do.”

up for the French exchange just to expand my French language abilities and also to see a new country,” she said. “I've always wanted to go to France, so I thought this would be a fun opportunity.”

she is worried about the potential struggles that the language barrier may cause, along with the unfamiliar experience of going on an abroad program with South.

is year, South students hosted students from France in April and will travel to France from late June to early July.

Junior Emma Oliphant said that she is grateful to be able to cross o one of her bucketlist destinations through a school trip.

“I wanted to sign

get dropped o and we go around to di erent activities.”

Blumenthal said that his responsibilities are mainly helping with logistics at camp while also being someone who the campers can look up to.

“[I do] transitions, help with activities and also act as a role model and authority "gure,” he said.

Although this year will be Blumenthal’s "rst year working as a camp counselor, he previously attended Camp Kaleidoscope for many years as a camper. Blumenthal said that he is excited to experience camp through a new lens.

“I'm looking forward to having my own bunk and having fun with the kids,” he said.

“Just reliving camp, but as a camp counselor

Some of the most meaningful outcomes of the French exchange program are the friendships formed between students across countries. After showing her exchange student her favorite spots in Boston, Oliphant said that she can’t wait to explore Paris with her.

“I'm looking forward to seeing my exchange student again,” she said.“I had a really fun time with her when she came to Boston.”

Despite her excitement to see Paris and her exchange student, Oliphant said that

this time.”

Blumenthal said that summer break is an opportunity for students to take on more time-intensive activities, like his full-time camp

“I haven't been on any school trips like this,” she said. “My French is not the best, so I'm most nervous to have to speak French all the time.”

After returning from the French exchange program, Oliphant said that she is planning to use the remainder of summer to ful"ll her other responsibilities before going into her senior year.

“I'm planning on doing a medical program at Duke, and also just doing stu for college [such as] "lling out the Common App and doing college interviews,” she said.

photo contributed by Joya Tendulkar

photo contributed by Emma Oliphant

photo contributed by Jacob Blumenthal

graphics by Anastasia Karpova

Break from the Norm: math teacher joins NTA

Javi Nashat Features Contributor

After 12 years at South, beloved math and physics teacher Ryan Normandin is turning the page, leaving his teaching post for a full-time position at the Newton Teachers Association (NTA). "ere, he will assume the role of the NTA’s second release o cer.

"roughout his time at South, Normandin has earned a reputation among students as a passionate and supportive educator. A highly active member in the South community, he has assumed various leadership positions, including president of South’s Faculty Council.

Many in Newton also know Normandin from his work as the NTA’s bargaining team liaison during the NTA strike in January 2024. "e NTA is a labor union which represents employees of the Newton Public Schools.

One month ago, Normandin was elected second release o cer by fellow union members, winning 70% of the vote.

In his new role, Normandin will handle many of the NTA’s day-to-day operations. He will also collaborate with the district to work on issues such as schedules and mental health.

Normandin $rst became involved in Newton politics during COVID, when the district’s treatment of educators left him deeply upset. In his new role, he said that he hopes to defend educators.

“I was really disturbed and surprised by the degree to which the district just lied to the community. I was seeing things out in the public that I knew were false,” he said. “I was like, ‘"is is just not right. "is is wrong to scapegoat your district’s educators.’”

Although Normandin is excited about what his new job has to o er, he said that the decision to leave his teaching job was incredibly di cult for him.

“I turned in my paperwork a couple hours before it was due because I was wa%ing at the very end,” he said. “Fundamentally, the things that I enjoy most are the things that I will miss: I’m going to miss the students.”

THE

"is will also be Normandin’s $rst time working outside of a school building. Christine Walsh, the NTA’s outgoing second release of$cer, said that the transition to a di erent job might be di cult for Normandin.

“["e] biggest challenge for him will be that it's a completely di erent job than what he had before. It's not the same as teaching, and he'll have a lot to learn,” she said.

However, Walsh said that she is certain he is capable of learning.

“My experience with him is that he is an excellent listener and questioner and is really a sponge when it comes to learning,” she said.

"e students in his precalculus class were sad to hear the news that he was leaving, but junior Ally Hunt said that she can see him $tting very well in his new role.

“We knew that he was very vocal during the strike, and he would sometimes tell us he had these meetings to go to,” she said. “He has a lot of communication skills, he’s very personable and overall, he’s a great teacher, so I’m sure that will transfer over.”

Normandin’s passion and attention have cultivated an active learning environment in the classroom. Sophomore Joshua Park, another student in Normandin’s precalculus class, said that his learning bene$ted from Normandin’s love for the subject.

“He’s really enthusiastic about [math],” he said. “Anyone in his class can tell that he really cares about teaching and really wants his students to understand the material.”

Math department head Alex Kraus said that Normandin’s diligence as a teacher builds a supportive learning environment for his students.

“He cares about his kids, he cares about how much they learn and … he's an incredibly dynamic lecturer and presenter of content,” he said. “He does a very good job making very abstract, conceptual concepts interesting and cool to think about.”

Hunt said that Normandin’s entertaining teaching style and his use of real-world examples make a notoriously di cult course feel more manageable.

“He’s one of the better math teachers I’ve had. Although the content is very challenging,

“"ere is a balance that needs to happen to advocate for the students and the families in Newton, and he's the perfect person doing it.”

Mike Mosbrooker Math Teacher

he presents it in a way that makes it easier to pose questions to get that deeper understanding,” she said.

“It’ll be sad not to see him around the hallways, but at least I got to have him as a teacher this year.”

Although Normandin’s presence will be missed, Kraus said that he is reassured knowing that Normandin will still be active in the Newton community.

“It's a loss of a friend and a family member, but I am glad that he is still going to be with us in Newton, [just as] somebody who will just take on a di erent role in the way in which they are supporting teachers here,” he said.

Math teacher Mike Mosbrooker said that he thinks that Normandin’s departure is a necessary trade-o , as his new job at the NTA will help improve Newton's education system.

“I wish that the school district had the kids' interest at heart as much as he does. And I wish he could still be here and just keep doing a job, but I don't think it's that way,” he said. “"ere is a balance that needs to happen to advocate for the students and the families in Newton, and he's the perfect person doing it.”

English teacher Jenny Robertson has worked with Normandin on the Faculty Council and the Strategic Planning Committee. She said that he will be the perfect addition to the NTA leadership team.

“He's so knowledgeable, he's so smart, he puts 1,000 percent into everything he does,” she said. “He's an asset wherever he is, but I am going to miss him.”

APPLICATION

The Roar followed four seniors with different interests as they navigated the college application process. Now, the final senior makes her decision.

By Bethesda Yeh

Previously known as Anne, Layla Kaunfer committed to Tufts University, where she plans to major in biology and follow the pre-med track.

Prior to committing, Kaunfer had narrowed down her options to two top choices: Tufts, where she’d been accepted as a nonathlete, and Oberlin College, where she’d been accepted as a soccer recruit. Finances being an important factor in Kaunfer’s decision, these two schools o ered roughly similar $nancial aid.

In preparation for making her $ nal decision, Kaunfer said she spent April break re-visiting each college and attending admitted students’ days.

“I had a really good time when I revisited … I got a good sense of each school,” she said. "at made my decision even harder.”

Kaunfer hopes to pursue a career in medicine. Ultimately, she said that Tufts stood

out because of its proximity to both her family and nearby hospitals.

“Oberlin is very artsy. It would be easier to stand out as a pre-med student because there aren't as many,” she said.

“But there [aren’t] as many resources because it's not really known as a science school. It would be harder to get internships at hospitals because of its location [in greater Cleveland].”

Attending Tufts, however, means abandoning the opportunity to play collegiate soccer at Oberlin. Although Kaunfer plans to play club soccer at Tufts, she said turning down Oberlin’s recruitment o er was the most di cult part of her decision.

“[Collegiate soccer] is de$nitely something I've worked very hard for,” she said. “It's almost harder to shut the door on it, knowing that I had the chance to say yes.”

Kaunfer applied both as a soccer player in

the sports recruitment process and as a student in the regular admissions cycle.

"is meant taking on double the workload, but she said the choice was ultimately worth it.

"inking back in the fall when I was doing all my applications, I don't understand how I did all of that,” she said. “It was a lot of work, but I'm glad I took both routes. I'm more at peace with my decision now than I would have been without exploring everything.”

Heading to Tufts, Kaunfer said she is most excited to meet new people, take challenging classes and get involved with activities.

Despite the grueling nature of the college application process, she said her determination and consistent e ort was worth it in the end.

“I don't have any regrets. I know I submitted my best work,” she said.“I feel very satis$ed right now … with how everything worked out.”

Normandin writes equations during his Introduction to Quantum Mechanics class.

photo by ayer Bialek

photo contributed by Layla Kaunfer

Ms. Gonzalez walks o a winner

After 11 years as Athletic Director at South, Patricia Gonzalez is retiring and leaving behind a legacy like no other.

By Mitchell Lookner & Sarah Schwartz

During her tenure as head of the athletics department, Patricia Gonzalez has reshaped the athletics program through the sense of community that she has created.

Leaving after years of forming bonds with students and coaches is a challenging process for Gonzalez. She said that the decision to retire was a di cult one to make and that it has been lled with emotions.

“You’re going to start to make me cry,” she said. “I’m going to miss all of you. Students and student connections have been a huge part of my life, as well as mentoring coaches and helping them to be the best they can be so our students can have experiences.”

Girls track coach Steven McChesney has been working with Gonzalez for her entire career at South. McChesney said that Gonzalez has helped him become a better coach.

“She’s really helped me grow,” he said.

“She’s helped me polish a lot of my rough edges.”

Girls junior varsity basketball coach and assistant varsity softball coach David Goose said that Gonzalez has been very exible and considerate about making sure that athletes are able to balance daily practices with other time commitments.

“Due to constraints for my athletes, a lot of the time, we had to be in the early practice slots, and she was very good about accommodating us where the athletes could practice and still manage their late buses, homework, et cetera,” he said.

Gonzalez does not focus solely on the winning side of things: she puts the health and well-being of the athletes rst. Gonzalez said that conversations with students play a large part in making her job enjoyable.

“Chatting with somebody that may be having a tough time, or celebrating things that have nothing to do with sports — these mo-

ments make the di erence,” she said.

“When people ask me why we are here seven days a week, 14 hours a day, I say that if I make the life of one student better, it justi es all the e orts.”

Gonzalez has never thought of South as a group of individuals, but rather as a unied community where everyone is important. McChesney said that Gonzalez prioritizes inclusion among both athletes and non-athletes at South.

“She always refers to all the coaches, parents and players as her team,’” he said. “She cares about every kid in the school, not just on teams. She brought all these diverse talents and beliefs together to feel like we’re part of a really big community.”

Lion’s Pride Day, held at the beginning of every sports season, brings all teams together in the eld house for fun team-building activities. Gonzalez said that she created Lion’s Pride due to an absence of community in South athletics.

“I felt that the athletes didn’t know each other and that they never supported each other,” she said. “If you think about that day, it’s not about sports, it’s who we are as a community, how we play silly games and create a sense of belonging to this one team — South.”

Junior Matthew Luxama, a member of the varsity football and wrestling teams, said that Gonzalez’s care and dedication to her students and athletes are apparent.

“She has really helped provide nancial and emotional support for all of Newton South sports,” he said. “I would probably say my favorite thing about her is how passionate she is for every sports program at Newton South.”

Gonzalez brought three seasons — basketball, cheerleading and track — of Uni ed Sports to South. ese teams, which boast incredible communities, are a way for students with and without disabilities to compete together on a self-led team.

Senior Uni ed basketball captain Hannah Schwager said that the value that Gonzalez places on the Uni ed programs helps ensure that the programs are equally part of the community.

“We have some of the best turnout for our Uni ed teams, which just makes the environment so much better,” she said.“It's the same attitude that she shows to the football team, in making sure our environment is just as good for us as it is for any other team.”

Gonzalez’s work in supporting the athletics department goes beyond her work at South, as she is a well-respected and prominent

When

people ask me why we are here seven days a week, 14 hours a day, I say that if I make the life of one student better, it justi es all the e orts.

Patricia Gonzalez Athletic Director

gure in the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA). Gonzalez also gave students the opportunity to gain leadership qualities through MIAA summits.

Schwager attended a handful of MIAA leadership and sportsmanship summits as a student ambassador and said that Gonzalez’s esteem was apparent from other athletic directors across the state.

“She's someone that I think everyone around her really respects, outside of just the school level,” she said.“It's just the same, people respect her, they have good relationships with her and people are coming up to her. And it's not just like, ‘hey, can you schedule a game?’ It's checking in, congratulating her now on retirement. It's just a really cool thing to see. She's respected at all levels.”

With Gonzalez retiring, a new athletic director, Keith Davie, is set to ll her role. Davie is the current assistant athletic director at South, having previously served as the head athletic director at Niagara College in Ontario for 24 years.

Davie said that he is ready for the challenge of stepping into the role of head athletic director, as he said that Gonzalez has helped him become familiar with the school’s athletic program.

“Big shoes to ll,” he said. “She’s been an incredible mentor. She’s been a partner in teaching how things work in Newton, how they work with the MIAA.”

All in all, Gonzalez said that it was more than just athletics that kept her motivated as she stepped into the o ce every day.

“It’s the human side, the relationship side. at’s what makes my job interesting. A day is never the same here. When the students need support and you are there for them, that’s what makes a di erence,” she said.

photo contributed by Patricia Gonzalez

Gonzalez has cultivated a sense of inclusion and unity during her tenure at South.

A winning connection fuels girls' tennis

Ana Ciric,

Sarah

Schwartz

&

Michelle Wu Sports Contributors & Managing Editor

Led by head coach Noura Guermazi, the South girls’ tennis team is ranked second in the state heading into the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) state tournament.

Guermazi, in her fth season at South, places great emphasis on team spirit, development and character, which is what has cultivated a team environment where each player feels supported through the highs and lows of a season and primed for success.

Following the loss of her top singles player, Guermazi’s philosophy has carried the group to a record of 15 wins and two losses following a trip to the Final Four last season.

Senior captain Julia Lee said that the team’s constant support for one another is evident in their encouragement for one another during matches.

“Even after one person’s match is nished, they’ll wait and watch everyone else’s matches until the whole team is done,” she said.

Junior Lily Shapiro and alternate on varsity said that the support from her teammates is uplifting when she’s ghting for tough points.

“After every single point, even if you're in the middle of your own match and you watch a good point on the court over, we always cheer people on, which is just extra motivation to keep going,” she said.

Senior captain Julia Sayers said that the group’s positivity and support through

the highs and lows of the season makes the environment special.

“I've had some disappointing losses in high school, and I always love the fact that my teammates are the rst people to give me a hug fresh o a bad loss or a great win,” she said.

"e team’s connectedness and the tight bonds they have with one another are apparent on the court. Geurmazi said these relationships

is way more important for me.”

Senior varsity alternate Jenna Kriensky said that the team’s integration with varsity and junior varsity (JV) practicing as one team contributes to the group’s success.

“We have such amazing players at the top that are playing with people on JV. So people are able to grow so much within the team because they have such amazing opportunities to play

and over again, she cares more about the player's personality, than she does about how well they can play. So if a person's a really fun, good team player that everybody likes having around, she'll take them over somebody who's a really good player, but they have a horrible attitude,” she said. “Tennis isn’t typically seen as a team sport, but to [Guermazi], it really is, to us, it really is.”

Kriensky joined the team her sophomore year and said that she experienced the kindness and support of her teammates while learning the sport.

“Everybody on high varsity, or just varsity, high JV, wherever, would just go and hit with me. "ey’d be like, ‘it's okay, you're doing great.’ I was not doing great, but I felt so comfortable to make mistakes and I felt comfortable to learn from them,” she said.

Sophomore JV player Johanna Lee said the team’s inclusivity extends from the standard Guermazi sets to the leadership of the captains.

“Our captains are great too. "ey make sure everyone's doing well and if anyone has any questions, they say don't hesitate to ask,” she said. “It's just so open.”

Kriensky said the team is heading into the playo s with the same mindset that group has played with all season – to have fun with one another and try their best.

Kriensky said Guermazi cultivates an inclusive team environment through the great value she places on her players being good teammates and having good character.

“[Guermazi] has said repeatedly over

“I think that knowing each other and becoming friends is helpful because then you know you can trust your player,” she said.“I love seeing the girls getting better, getting together and cheering for each other. It’s huge for me. So yes results are important, but I think teamwork up and play against people that are better than them in practice and matches,” she said.“It's just truly something that's unlike any other team.”

“[Guermazi] always says before every single match, it's not about winning or losing. It's just about going out, playing the game you love and just trying to do the best that you can,” she said.“We just have the same team oriented, hard working, no stress mindset that we've had the entire season.”

South and North frisbee: the ultimate duo

Hannah Alexander Sports Reporter

While in other sports, the North versus South game is the most anticipated of the year, in girls’ ultimate frisbee, the two high schools are coming together in an attempt to reach even greater heights.

"e North girls’ ultimate frisbee team, which was nationally ranked in 2023 and 2024, saw the addition of eight students from South this season due to a lack of interest at South for a full team to be formed.

North ultimate frisbee co-captain Edith Harrington said that the team prioritized rebuilding this season, as many of their players graduated last year.

“We’ve been working to try and teach people how to play, and we’re trying to build a more cohesive team,” she said.

Harrington said that this season has been about more than solely winning every game; the team has been working to build a strong foundation for the future.

“["e focus] is more [on] how we are growing as a team and how the team will get to a place where we can be strong next year,” she said.

South junior Anna Kinney said that she rejoined the sport this season, having played ultimate frisbee in middle school.

“I stopped in high school because I wanted to do cross country and track,” she said.

“"is year, I decided to try it again. Now I really like it.”

North ultimate frisbee co-captain Eliza Dyett said that a typical practice is focused on the areas that the team is currently working on.

“We've been doing a lot of work in zone defense, so [the coaches] will pick teams based on who's really comfortable in what position,”

she said.

Harrington said that scrimmaging is a crucial part of the team’s practices, as it serves as an opportunity to imitate game situations and make changes to approaches.

“We'll scrimmage, but we'll modify it a bit so we keep redoing parts, or we just focus on the end zone,” she said.

Although the team works hard in practices, Dyett said that overall, the sport is not exceedingly competitive.

“Now I'm like, ‘oh my God, I love ultimate,’” she said. “I want to play in college.”

Co-captain Ellie Lemberg, a South senior, said that she has felt included throughout her experience on the team, despite not going to North.

“"ey’ve taken me in and made me feel like part of a team, even though I go to a different school,” she said.

Second-year North coach Burt Granofsky said that he enjoys coaching the sport and

“It’s more about being spirit[ed] and having a lot of fun,” she said. “It's just fun to be in a sport that's a little bit less pressure and more focused on growth.”

Harrington said that she joined ultimate frisbee simply for the sake of trying a sport, but that her passion for frisbee has since grown.

working with the team.

“I love working with the players. I really liked the group that we had this year and last year,” he said. “I've found it to be a really ful lling experience.”

Granofsky said that Lemberg has made a signi cant di erence for the team, as she has

inspired many people to join.

“Seeing a lot of kids at South who now are thinking about ultimate going forward is sort of a testament to everything that she's done,” he said.

Combining two high schools into one team comes with its di$culties, however. Dyett said that challenges arose at times when working to gure out logistics.

“"is year, especially because we combined with South, it was kind of di$cult to get that running and to be able to organize practices and things like that,” she said. “A lot of it is just being able to get everyone to practice on time because we have limited eld space.”

South sophomore Taya Vahey said she imagined combining the teams could present challenges.

“"e ultimate frisbee team is probably guring out where to have practices,” she said. “And also budgeting between the schools with all the uniforms and equipment and all the di erent buses.”

In addition to organizational challenges, Dyett said that it is harder for the combined group to have a cohesive team, as the students go to di erent schools and mostly only see each other at practices and games.

“It's di$cult to get everybody bonded and on the same page,” she said. "We've tried to have a lot of activities for [the] collective.”

"e coaches are considering keeping the joint team for next year. Granofsky said that he hopes his players continue improving and enjoying the game.

“It's always nice to win, but I think it's nicer and it's more fun when you feel like everyone is really improving and they're enjoying themselves on the team,” he said. ""e team is really bonding together. "at's what really matters.”

photo contributed by North girls' ultimate frisbee

e combined South and North girls' ultimate frisbee team celebrates after a win.

photo contributed by Julia Lee

e girls' tennis team, fueled by close connections, is ranked second in the state. translate to success as the players believe in themselves and one another.

Pocketful of sunshine: spikeball heats up

Joey Giragos Sports Editor Emeritus

Summer is great. No waking up early for A block. No Schoology updates. No mystery meat from the school cafeteria burrito bowls. When the clock nally strikes 12:30 on that fateful Monday in late June, we will all be gifted the invaluable freedom of spending our days however we please.

Many of us will get jobs. Some of us will go to camp or spend our summers on the Cape. Some of us, like the one behind this computer screen, are basking in the glory of unemployment and will let the slump of senior year continue into the dog days of summer.

However, no matter what you're doing, I guarantee at some point you’ll nd yourself stuck in a TikTok doom scroll and will wonder what you can do to get yourself outside and enjoy New England’s very brief beautiful weather. Hello, spikeball.

You may have heard of spikeball before. I’m not going to try and explain all the rules to you, because frankly, you’re just going to watch a YouTube tutorial anyway, so just do that. Here are a few tips that YouTube may not tell you.

Each set comes with a net and a couple of in atable yellow balls. You will lose at least one of these balls. Don’t try to convince yourself otherwise. Either it will be popped, left at the beach or just mysteriously disappear. I’ve never played with anybody who had their original spikeballs, so spare yourself the angst and just order extras to begin with.

Next, your trusty YouTube video may say something about “pockets” — this is when you

hit the ball into the deep corner of the net, and it comes o at such an angle that it’s incredibly di cult for the opposing team to return.

Hitting a pocket feels absolutely fantastic. You’ll never understand what a good pocket feels and looks like until it happens, but just know that it’s probably the single most electric play in all of sports.

Here’s the problem, though; some people play with low pockets en read that right. citing and skill spikeball is often by the scum of this who don’t believe in having fun or being

won’t be playing. Trust me, it’s better this way. Back to the actual spikeball set itself — do not buy a knock-o version of spikeball. Yes, it’s cheaper. No, it’s not the same, your dad is wrong. e net doesn’t have the same bounce, and it breaks far more easily — I’ve actually only ever seen a real spikeball net break once, when hulking Newton North senior Ryan Huckabone belly- opped directly onto it.

competitive. Ooh, pockets are too hard to return. Ooh, pockets are too subjective.

I don’t care. Stop it. Just to be safe — and to avoid any miscommunication — always preface your game by con dently stating that pockets are allowed, and if they’re not, you

But that’s beside the point; just buy the real thing for $60. You can even buy the pro set if you really fall in love with the game. But if you try and pull up to a beach day with your $30 “GOOX Outdoor Beach Ball Game” from Amazon, no one is playing with you.“Yoooo, let’s play some GOOX.”

It’s those perfect games with you and your friends hitting some disgusting pockets, basking in the wonderful summer weather and diving across (but not directly onto) the net that make it all worth it.

I’m a good sport. e beauty of spikeball, past its convenience, is that spikeball rewards you for trying hard.

The games are always better when everyone buys in and gives their maximum e ort at all times. ere are going to be bad games of spikeball this summer; that’s just the nature of the game. When teams are unevenly matched or the wind is too rough, spikeball frankly just sucks.

Haha, no. Get out of my face, weirdo. In the spikeball community, quality matters, and investing in the real thing is worth it.

Yes, I’m very self-aware that I sound like the most insu erable spikeball player of all time, but I promise that when I get out there,

But it’s those perfect games with you and your friends hitting some disgusting pockets, basking in the wonderful summer weather and diving across (but not directly onto) the net that make it all worth it.

So I implore you to trust me when I say that spikeball can be a fantastic addition to your summer plans, and wish all of you the absolute best wherever your spikeball journey takes you.

Boston's NWSL team kicks of a new legacy

Mariela Weiss Sports Reporter

After nearly a decade without a professional women’s soccer team, Boston will nally be back on the eld in the coming year. Boston Legacy Football Club (FC) is set to join the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) in 2026, marking not only a return of pro women’s soccer, but a new chapter in the rise of women's sports in America.

e journey to this point has not been smooth. From controversy around stadium renovations in Franklin Park to a clumsy initial rollout under the original name of “BosNation,” the unveiling of the team has drawn more negative headlines than the club may have intended.

Despite these setbacks, I believe that beyond these bumps lies a bigger story of revival and inspiration for the next generation of female athletes.

Boston’s connection to women’s soccer stretches back decades. e Boston Breakers, who played in various women’s leagues from 2001 until their folding in 2018, were one of the most well-recognized teams in the early days of women's sports in America.

e team’s exit from the NWSL was devastating not only for women’s sports, but for young soccer players across New England who had grown up watching the local stars.

e debut of Boston Legacy FC is set to revive women’s sports in New England while bringing back those young, eager soccer fans.

e timing couldn't be better. Since 2018, women’s soccer has seen a remarkable surge, from the 2023 Women’s World Cup breaking viewership records with an audience of 2 billion people globally to a growing list of expansion teams and investors in the NWSL. However, U.S. soccer is not the only place

that has seen growth, as women’s sports across the board are experiencing a drastic cultural and commercial shift.

e 2023 National Collegiate Athletic Association women’s basketball tournament shattered viewership records, and the Women's National Basketball Association teams are

Globally, many women’s soccer matches are also seeing growing attendance and selling out stadiums, a feat that many once considered impossible for women’s sports. Today, women’s college basketball reaches 50 million people; the NWSL audience has risen to 36 million viewers.

Part of the momentum is driven by fans — in particular, younger generations who look up to these players as role models. ese

numbers don’t lie; women’s sports aren’t just a feel-good story, they’re something to be taken seriously as a fast-growing market.

With new media deals, sponsorships and the development of high-pro le athletes, the women’s sports industry is poised for continued growth.

Still, even in a city that loves its sports, there’s work to be done. e decision to renovate White Stadium in Franklin Park, a green space that has long been important to surrounding communities, has sparked strong opposition from locals.

e renovations have even faced legal troubles, but they have since been a rmed and passed through the Superior Court. e stadium will be shared between Boston Legacy FC and the Boston Public Schools, with hopes of providing year-round facilities for both students and the community.

ere have, additionally, been branding missteps. e original name, “BosNation,” sat poorly with fans. However, many feel that by acknowledging the city’s history, the rebrand to “Boston Legacy FC” is a step in the right direction.

e word “legacy” carries its weight in a place like Boston, a city built on tradition, grit and both pride and loyalty for its teams. For Boston Legacy FC, the branding taps into that idea, as the club aims to build on that history, inspire the next generation and prove that women's sports are not a novelty, but a necessity. As 2026 approaches, the anticipation is growing. Local girls who dream of playing pro won’t have to look beyond city limits. Diehard soccer fans will once again have a hometown team to rally behind. And Boston, a city that knows how to ght for what it believes in, has a chance to show the country what investing in women's sports looks like.

graphic by Sarah Schwartz

watching their arenas ll up like never before, as these leagues are quickly becoming an essential part of sports culture in America.

Nepotism in sports: an unfair boost to the top

Owen Halberstadt & Ishan Jathar

Sports Editor & Sports Reporter

On July 24, 2024, LeBron (Bronny) James Jr. was drafted into the National Basketball Association (NBA) as the 55th overall pick to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Although he was considered a controversial pick due to his lackluster average of 4.8 points and 2.1 assists per game in college, many were not surprised, as he had landed himself a spot on the same team as his father, LeBron James, who is widely considered one of the greatest players of all time.

Being the son of a 21-time All-Star, fourtime NBA champion, 20-time All-NBA and member of the NBA 75th Anniversary team comes with great expectations.

Throughout his high school career, James Jr. was a top NBA prospect. During his freshman year at the University of Southern California (USC), however, tragedy struck, as he su ered a cardiac arrest inside one of USC’s training facilities.

Due to quick action by medical professionals and USC sta , James Jr. made a full recovery. However, he was never fully able to !nd his footing at USC, as he played limited minutes and did not start the season on time.

Most NBA analysts believed that James Jr. neither developed nor showed enough talent to be drafted into the NBA.

Immediately after his controversial selection, James Jr. received harsh criticism from fans and the media. Critics believed that his father’s in uence on the front o ce, the team and the league played a massive role in James Jr. getting

the chance to play in the NBA.

Whether or not the Lakers drafted James Jr. solely due to his father’s in uence cannot be known, but it can be inferred that

pick” hype he received prior to the draft despite his inferior play on the !eld. Sanders’ undeniable popularity in the sports world became heavily controversial, as Sanders getting age than other outplayed him. a talented high school, that his was both his and NFL

Hall-ofFamer Deion Sanders was likely the biggest reason

e problem with nepotism in sports lies beyond media coverage and career opects economic opportunities, too. Name, image and likeness (NIL) deals have become increasingly popular among college athletes in recent years, as they give athletes a chance to make money while

Not all NIL contracts are created equal. e“name” part of NIL has begun to dominate, leading players to be paid for a family member’s popularity more so than their own on-!eld

Despite never playing a snap of college football, University of Texas quarterback Arch Manning received a $103,000 NIL deal in 2023, putting him near the top of all NIL earners.

$at amount was heightened in April of 2025 when Manning signed two more deals, giving him the largest NIL valuation ever at $6.6 million despite only starting two games in his college football career.

$is valuation was in part due to his elite play in high school and tremendous potential, but many point to him being part of one of the most famous families in football, with his uncles Peyton and Eli Manning both being Hall of Fame quarterbacks with multiple Super Bowl rings.

Many athletes reap the bene!ts of their parents when it comes to NIL, as Shedeur Sanders carried a $6.5 million NIL valuation in his !nal year at the University of Colorado, almost double that of his Heisman trophywinning teammate Travis Hunter (who was drafted second overall in the 2025 NFL draft).

Bronny James Jr. received $5.9 million in his !nal year of college despite only starting in six of 33 games.

Sports are one of the cornerstones of American culture. $ey emphasize the idea of the American dream, as we have seen athletes from all backgrounds and walks of life work their whole lives to become superstars in their respective leagues. Nepotism blemishes this idea that makes sports so enticing and entertaining, as it gives certain players an unfair “boost” to the top.

While nepotism does not tear apart the sports world, it demands a change to create a sports culture that allows every player to get a fair opportunity to have a career, boost their image and earn money based on how talented they are, not who they’re related to.

graphic by Clare Cho

CROSS W ORD

ACROSS DOWN

4) What do you call a three-humped camel?

6) “Sk8er Boi” singer and Boston Calling headliner Lavigne

7) What the CRWA is trying to cut? (pg. 3)

11) Musician who now owns the masters of all 11 of her studio albums

12) Baked goods that sophomore Tristan Homsy makes a big batch of about once a month

13) Many students’ go-to AI tool that wrote our editorial’s hook

15) University in the middle of a feud with the federal government

1) A “disease” sweeping through the halls of South (pg. 12)

2) Sports editor with a long last name and impeccable music taste

3) “____ Robotics,” team created by current sophomore Jerry Gong when he was in second grade (pg. 16)

5) Online game that drops you in a random location on Google Maps; favorite break activity of senior sta!

7) Celtics player who tore his achilles on court

8) Famously outspoken country band; fuzzy, yellow baby animals (pg. 9)

9) Satisfying place to land a shot in Spikeball (pg. 21)

10) Austrian capital that “waits for you” in a famous Billy Joel song

14) Last name of beloved athletic director retiring after 11 years (pg. 19)

How to Win Senior Assassins

e other day I was chilling with my goons at lunch in Newton Centre when a squad of seniors began crossing the street on scooters with water guns in hand. It hit me: Senior Assassin had o cially started. One of my goons, speci cally Jonny G, said to me, “Hey Matty Ice, what makes someone win Senior Assassin?” e gears in my head began turning and I came up with an answer: the key to winning Senior Assassin can be narrowed down to three simple points. Additionally, I interviewed Josh Rivers, one of four Senior Assassin winners, on how he was able to pull o! his win.

1) Have a drive-in garage connected to your house.

If you’re in your house you can’t get shot. If you’re in your car you can’t get shot. So therefore, if you drive your car into your house then you can’t get shot. I’m not 100% sure if Josh Rivers has a drive-in garage, but according to him, it doesn’t really matter.

“I never really leave my house anyway,” Josh said. “You’re safe in your house so don’t leave it. Even if it wasn’t Senior Assassin, I probably wouldn’t leave my house anyway.” anks Josh.

2) Be athletic.

Athleticism is highly important for either catching your target or running from someone who has you. It’s pretty hard to get more athletic, but you can get slightly better by working out. Here is Matt Welch’s 25-minute plyometric workout: 3x2 box jump, 3x7 squats, 4x10 lawn mowing. is is a game changer,” said Matt.

3) Be willing to get dirty.

In order to successfully get your target out, you will most likely have to hide in a dirty or uncomfortable area like a bush, dumpster or back seat of a car. It’s really about how much you want it.

According to Josh Rivers, “I tried my best.”

anks Josh.

Well that’s your guide to winning Senior Assassin. Good luck, future seniors!