By Alice Liu '23
 
As the trees surrounding Edge and Gund blossom, Martlets enter a new season characterized by vitality and renewal. For the class of 2023, in particular, spring 2022 is their first authentic Westminster spring after being online for their freshman spring and navigating Covid restrictions their sophomore spring. For some members of the class of ‘23, including myself, this spring is our first spring physically being on campus. April 2022 marks the first time we see the 7 p.m. sunset on the quad, enjoy the blossoming of the flower trees near the dorms, and embody diverse emotions for stickball.
 
What is it like to experience the Westminster spring for the first time as Fifth Formers? To actualize this exhilarating, multi-facet experience, I spoke to members of the Class of 2023 about their experiences.
 
When asked what marks the biggest difference between spring and winter on campus, Fifth Formers note the skyrocketing sense of optimism that shrouds the campus. Catherine Rodrigues ‘23 notes that “The second it got warm, people started smiling more, and the morale around campus is outstanding.” Echoing Catherine’s comment, Maggie Schleer ‘23 remarks that stickball is an important factor spurring this shift toward increased optimism. Maggie appreciates that stickball “Brings together a diverse group of people onto the quad, and has allowed [her] to see so many new faces.”
 
While all agreed on the outstanding optimism permeating campus, Fifth Formers diverged on the upcoming event they are most looking forward to. A wide smile appeared across Anabel Brawn ‘23’s face when she described her “high expectations” for the Lawn Ceremony. Describing the moment she steps onto the “very special and sacred” Sixth Form lawn as the “crowning moment of junior year,” Anabel is eager to become a Sixth Former. Both Elizabeth Wolf ‘23 and Catherine look forward to their tennis match this Friday. Telling me that they are each other’s double partners, the pair notes that “It is so nice to finally be able to play sports outside!” Sharing in Catherine and Elizabeth Wolf’s excitement for spring sports, Elizabeth Diblasi ‘23 enthusiastically voiced her support for spring sports teams in “Go lacrosse, softball, tennis, and track!” Elizabeth also looks forward to playing spikeball, ultimate frisbee, and volleyball with her friends. She particularly appreciates ultimate frisbee, succinctly summarizing her position on the sport with “Love ultimate frisbee.” Elizabeth highlights that 5-6 pm is the best time to enjoy frisbee because of the “excellent sunset” and the “cool breeze.”
 
Stickball plays a central theme in Fifth Formers’ comment on spring on campus. All Fifth Formers I have spoken to reported top ratings for the activity. A skilled participant, Maggie rated her stickball experience a solid 8/10. Both Catherine and Elizabeth Wolf rated Kelter’s match against Edge a solid 10/10. Elizabeth Diblasi, recounting the exhilarating tales she heard about the match, also rated it a 10/10.
 
There are, of course, a few uncertainties looming around Fifth Formers as they enter their first spring on campus. With her first AP exam coming next week, Anabel feels slightly nervous. Elizabeth Diblasi is also grinding for her AP exams. When I entered the room she shares with Maggie in Kelter this evening, Elizabeth was preparing for her AP Calculus AB exam. Ultimately, however, Fifth Formers devote more focus on the content of their classes than on the AP exam. Anabel notes that she especially enjoys her APUSH class with Mr. Griffith. “I love analyzing from an academic perspective recent events that I have lived through, such as the housing crisis and the 2016 election,” she tells me.
 
Enjoying their classes and time with friends outdoors, Fifth Formers report tremendous positivity toward their experiences on campus this spring. Elizabeth Diblasi, Anabel, and Maggie all responded to “how I’m feeling right now” with an 8/10. Catherine and Elizabeth Wolf gave a 9-10/10. Ultimately, Martlets are grateful for the weather, their time with friends, and the excellent support from the faculty.

By Alex Shao '22
 
As spring slowly approaches this year, we are all excited to spend more time outside. However, all we have are 24 hours, so the more you spend outside, the less you are working. Many people are familiar with the term “senioritis,” which is often used to describe seniors like me, whose motivations are lost and performance in school decreases during senior spring. Just like what you think it means, “junioritis” describes juniors who slack, just like the seniors, when in fact juniors should be having one of their toughest terms at Westminster. Based on my observations of this term, I believe it is rightful for me to say that besides senioritis, “junioritis” has also prevailed on our campus. When I am walking back from dinner or hanging out at the grill, I always feel that I am surrounded by juniors who are chilling there, not working hard or considering their future. As I think back to my junior spring, I remember myself spending hours and hours going over my APUSH notes, doing problem sets of integrals, and participating in extracurricular activities like writing for the newspaper. And I wasn’t the only one doing these things since it was commonly recognized among my friends that the college process was starting that spring. As we are about to get into the AP weeks, I do not think the presence of “junioritis” has faded in any way.
           
Prompted by my curiosity about the scale of junioritis at our school and its possible impact, I interviewed many juniors and even freshmen to find out their opinions on this problem which has affected almost all members of the Fifth Form. First of all, to my surprise, 100% of the juniors I interviewed admitted that they have junioritis at this moment, that they are tempted to waste time watching YouTube or playing video games instead of preparing for the AP examinations and choosing a college list. Many also claimed that it gets harder every day to focus and work as they see seniors roaming around carelessly, getting to spend time outside at a point in the year many would say is the most beautiful. Especially with the vibrant nature of spring, the juniors all claim that they are tempted to just slack. When asked about their plan for senior fall and college, many of them have the optimism that time will be their best friend as they will magically figure it out when the time comes. In response to these opinions, I worry that once the students begin to slack right now, it will become much harder for them to get through senior fall and the intense application season next year. Even after they enter college, the lost work ethic might never be retrieved again. As I proclaim to be somewhat of an expert on college applications and senior year, I believe that time does not change how we act, and that you have to stay motivated in order to get through the toughest terms of your high school career, so starting a series of hard months with a case of junioritis is for sure not the ideal solution.

Quite a few of them believe that sports will help their college application process and are dedicated to continuing their path. This is an interesting perspective of junioritis—the temporary slack in junior spring only serves as a break before another athletic season next year. Most of them seem to stay on top of their schedules, balancing entertainment and work while giving themselves a little time to slack and relax. Though they say they are affected by junioritis, their mindset is clearly dichotomous to the others. This contrast made me come to the conclusion that when juniors have a clear goal, such as getting into D3 schools for swimming or soccer, they are more likely to avoid junioritis compared to those who just flow through their day, believing that they can save all the work for summer and senior fall. I predict that junioritis might be the cause of their ultimate downfall next year when they realize that they do not have enough time to do everything they need to do. At the end of this article, I want to make it clear that I am not against spending time with friends, enjoying nature, or just relaxing, but to all the juniors, I hope you won’t regret the choices you make this spring when you look back at it next year.

By Lara Connor '22

Joan River’s laugh reverberated off of Mom’s white bedroom walls. Her show, Fashion Police, boasted a 6/10 IMDb rating against a 72% audience satisfaction rate. If she had one fan left on this planet, it was seven-year-old me. Joan used the word “ass.” She roasted sequins decisions and knee-high slits on a spit. I was enthralled. Critiques of body shapes, sizes, hairdos, and fanciful rumors filled my little ears. The convenient excuse to indulge in the show was that my Mom worked in fashion media at the time and wrote down who wore what on a notepad. I wrote down new words. “I can’t believe I’m letting you watch this,” Mom whispered to herself, “this show is ridiculous.” Since I was under the covers by bedtime, before the champagne was poured inside the Dolby Theatre, fashion was all I knew about awards shows.
           
By 2018, I understood what there was to love about the Oscars beyond hemlines and bustiers. It encouraged the magic of old Hollywood. It rewarded the same innovation that brought our society Star Wars and our screens young Leo in decades past. I waxed and waned over whether Frances McDormand's fiery performance in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri would edge out Meryl Streep’s stoic yet unsurprisingly transformative trip as Kay Graham in The Post. I wasn’t surprised when Frances took it home, but instead paused by Mom’s assertion as the actress wrapped her acceptance speech: “It’s a shame she wore that dress. It’s all anyone will talk about.” I had barely yet noticed that Frances had indeed worn a burlap sack to the red carpet, but could now hear the cruel cackle of the late Joan Rivers reverberate from somewhere far off in my television's speakers.
 
No one really cares about the fashion, especially Joan. The fashion was an old means to compare and critique celebrities beyond their personas. Soon people critiqued reactions on cameras, the unimportant hug you give your wife when you win, and many more aspects of celebrity. This environment of criticism peaked when more people watched a YouTube clip of poor Warren Beatty err Best Picture announcement than they did The Oscars itself, and Awards Shows officially succumb to their last legs of character.
 
This past March, they fell.
 
When Will Smith strode up onto the Oscars stage and gave Chris Rock a taste of his metacarpals, conversations throbbed about “what Hollywood has come to.” I considered the thought. The slap represented something much larger about the decline of celebrities and the film industry that much of society had already reckoned with. Timothee Chalamet had gone shirtless for the evening and Joan Rivers turned in her grave beneath him. TikTok stars wore gowns and compared themselves to Grace Kelly. The evening’s hosts were dry and unfunny in an effort to not offend anyone, which above all speaks to the speed with which our media is changing: Chris’ “G.I. Jane” joke did not even run on the same thread of cruelty as those jabbed by Ricky Gervais or Jon Stewart. The celebrities took it, they didn’t slap or “cancel”. Hollywood represents greater issues in our society, as we become more insecure and therefore more sensitive and reactive. It’s not enough to critique the ball gown anymore.
 
I wish Joan Rivers was still alive. She would lay down in a limousine’s path before she let a TikTok star grace the red carpet. She would skin Timothee with words, she would be the only celebrity to remind us that Jada profits massively off of her alopecia. She would lay upon Wanda Sykes some torrent of critiques for her PC jokes. Unfortunately, Joan passed in 2014 and it seems that Hollywood has gone with her.

By Chip Genung '25
 
One of the things that makes Westminster a unique place is the John Hay society. As everyone knows they have been raising money throughout the year for multiple organizations and nonprofits. Often happening after Chapel, these acts of charity have been to help not only our immediate community in the Simsbury area but communities and people all over the world. It is amazing that a mostly student-run organization has been able to contribute so much to so many people.
           
This year John Hay has raised over five thousand nine hundred dollars. This money has gone to organizations such as Healing Meals which helps to provide food to families experiencing a health crisis. John Hay also does offertories for specific chapel talks. For example, they did an offertory for the Be a Match Foundation in honor of Chandler Green ‘23’s chapel talk about her brother. The offertories have given money to help our community within Connecticut, as well as the greater global community. This was shown through their generous donations to Direct Relief for Ukraine.
           
I got the chance to talk to some of the members of John Hay and asked about their experiences with it. I asked Maggie McCarthy '23 and Emma Mason '23 about the impact they hope John Hay and the offertories have. A common theme I heard was that John Hay helps to emphasize some of the values of Westminster including “involvement and supporting our community.” Maggie McCarthy included that “knowing that we made a difference helps the strength that our community can have.” In addition, they both gave very insightful comments on the chapel and its purpose in our community. Emma remarked that “Chapel is a really good way to know people’s story”. Additionally, Maggie commented that chapel is a time to “listen, not talk”. This, I thought, was a very accurate and deep way of putting it as it acknowledges that Chapel is important in our community and everyone will one day get their turn to speak; and until then, we wait to hear what others have to say.
           
I also got an amazing opportunity to speak to Priscilla Ameyaw '22 about her experiences with John Hay. Priscilla said that the reason she joined and is so passionate about John Hay is for one simple purpose: to help—to help her community on the Hill and to help the community outside of Westminster. Priscilla acknowledged the effects that these acts of charity have and that they can be so helpful for so many people.
           
Through talking to Maggie, Emma, and Priscilla about John Hay and the ways they have and hope to help our community, I learned many things, but the one thing I would say that became most clear is that John Hay is not just any other club, but instead, they are here to, as Priscilla said, “Do as much as they can to help other people.”

By Ryan Jainchill '23           
           
​Sitting at 7-3 at the time of writing, the Westminster Martlets won seven games in a row in Founders League play before falling to Taft. Three years ago, the team was 0-15, with their closest defeat being by three runs. This 2022 Martlets squad has defeated both Avon Old Farms and Loomis Chaffee, a feat that had not taken place in at least a decade. So, what gives? What turned a once dormant program back to competitiveness? The answer, according to their Manager, is in the approach.
           
Even before Tyler Wosleger arrived at Westminster from Hotchkiss, he wanted to establish his philosophy of accountability, effort, and competitiveness. He held Zoom meetings for returning and incoming players during the pandemic in anticipation of his Fall 2020 arrival. These meetings emphasized his core principles and his approach toward practices and games. When the team finally met in person in the fall, his work to turn the group into a competitive bunch had already come to fruition. “When I came here in the fall of 2020, my first goal was to change the culture of the program to competitiveness, and eventually into winning,” said Coach Wosleger. “I knew that attempting to make the program more competitive would bring a winning culture and a culture that many would want to play for.”

From September to November, the team practiced three times a week, going over plans for the upcoming season and beyond, and getting a lot of work in as well. In the winter, it was confirmed that the team would be able to play seven games in the spring against other schools. With five returning members from the last season in 2019,  the two returning captains, Ben Mihailovich ‘22 and Kendrick Freeman ‘21, were cast as leaders. This young Martlet group got the Coach Wosleger era off with a 17-5 victory against the Choate Wild Boars. Despite finishing the season 2-5, the team had two very competitive games with Loomis, pushing the Pelicans to the brink of defeat twice but ultimately falling short in both contests. They also bounced back nicely after a rough showing at Taft to have a one-run game with the Taft Rhinos the next day on Osborn Field. The season ended on a high note, with Joey Scrofani hitting a walk-off single against Hotchkiss to beat Coach Wosleger’s former Bearcat bunch. Although a below .500 record was not ideal, the shortened season laid the building blocks for a big 2022. The Martlets would add three postgraduates, including the reigning Southern CT Conference player of the year Jake Pisano ‘22, Richmond commit Davis Wallon ‘22, and John McMahon IV ‘22. Also joining were three freshmen, all of whom were ready to play pivotal roles on the Martlets.
           
When the spring of 2022 arrived – the first full baseball season in three years – the Martlets came in ready to win. After a strong showing in Vero Beach for their spring training, the season got underway with the team traveling to West Hartford to take on the Kingswood Oxford Wyverns. An uneven first showing resulted in an 8-4 loss, but the boys bounced back the next day, traveling up to the glorious Kent campus and defeating the Lions 2-1 on the back of a stellar Tyler Gutsfeld ‘22 pitching performance. The Martlets’ measuring stick game would arrive that Friday, as the Avon Old Farms Winged Beavers took the drive up Route 10 to Simsbury. The game started off with the Martlets going up 1-0 and eventually 4-2, but the Winged Beavers kept fighting. After Avon took a 6-4 lead in the fourth, the Martlets tied the game at 6 on a Gutsfeld sacrifice fly. But in the seventh, Avon went ahead 7-6, setting up a pivotal bottom of that inning. With two outs, sophomore Jack Sheldon ‘24 sent a ball into right field that scored both Scrofani and Mihailovich, giving the Martlets their first win against Avon in baseball in more than a decade. The monumental victory was just the start for the team; five straight wins followed, including walk-off wins over Williston and Loomis, and victories over Trinity-Pawling, Hotchkiss, and Kent.
           
The Martlets likely were lightly regarded given their previous season results. Being underestimated has been to their advantage. Even with early success, the Martlets continue their underdog mentality. “I think we all knew that everyone was going to underestimate us,” said captain Ben Mihailovich, who walked it off for the Martlets in a 12-11 thriller against Williston Northampton that featured an eight-run comeback. “We wanted to make sure they knew that underestimating us was a mistake. We added a lot more talent, and, after last season, we knew we could compete with the class of the Founders League this year; so this year we figured, ‘why not us?’”

Coach Wosleger has a different view. “I’ve been most impressed with the team's ability to fight,” said Wosleger. “We faced adversity in almost all of our games this season, and our ability to bounce back and be resilient has been great. This team is not fazed and defines the term ‘grit’.” Overcoming adversity against two top opponents in Avon and Loomis and coming out with wins in both games has been crucial to the success of the team through the first ten games, and that experience will continue to help them as the playoffs inch closer.

As Coach Wosleger said, “My teams tend to play their best baseball in mid-May and into the postseason. Having a great start is beneficial, and continuing to get better day in and day out will be important come mid and late May.”

The 2022 Westminster Varsity baseball team has surprised many so far and is primed for its first playoff appearance in many years. But, win or lose, this season has been a great building block for the foundational culture change within the baseball program. With Coach Wosleger at the helm, the sky is the limit.

By Lily Marvin '22

steel plates of rusted brown
push through my heart
of fire
the cage of vines
that encased it
peeling away
the
ashes falling down
and everything
coming to a close
tiptoeing one moment
leaping in the next
the ashes trickle
the ashes float
with blotches of red
passing them
all the way
to the ground
falling from the
gaping hole in my chest
 
slap a band-aid
on
and you’re all set
here have a sip
a taste of water
with
a hint of
care
but there’s nothing to rebuild
there’s nothing to heal
i swear
i’ve got deja’vu
the obsidian has already shattered
my defenses never mattered
they’ve sunk
into the ground
among fragments of
black and dust
among speckles of
red and cinder
broken down
and torn into pieces
with every moment
and every
reiteration
 
the band-aid doesn’t
stick
i don’t think it ever
would have
so that is the end
this is that time
 
a final goodbye
despite how my heart might
cry

By Maya Tavares '24
 
As we approach the end of the school year, I’ve asked some Fourth Formers what their best moment of the year has been. Here are some of their responses.
 
Sophia Peterson '24
For Sophia, the best part of her Fourth Form year has been the stickball season this spring. “Seeing everyone on the quad so happy and energetic is a great way to enjoy the energy of campus.” The supportive and ecstatic energy “brought our dorm together for the night,” and “gives us all something to look forward to each week.” All of the “fun themes” that each dorm creates also brings them together and adds another level of pride and competitiveness to the sport. The support—not conditional on mere skill level—is such an important part of the stickball spirit. The overwhelming cheering and music on the quad this spring season has been the best part of stickball, and the best part of Sophia’s sophomore year.
 
Payton Harding '24
On her first year on the Hill, Payton had numerous favorite memories to look back on. As a new student, family style lunch brought her into the community, “introducing me to new people and learning more about the community.” The new tables each week are “so exciting to look forward to.” Another great memory has been dressing up for hockey games down at the rink. Dressing up with friends to bring spirit to the teams has been “one of the most fun parts about life at boarding school.” A simple memory Payton has is simply living in the dorm and “enjoying everyone’s presence” after a long school day.
 
Jackson Raymond '24
For Jackson, the soccer team's run in the playoffs was the ultimate highlight of his school year. Being in the lead throughout the whole process has really been one of the “best moments in his sporting career.” The supportive and energetic nature of the team and spectators made each game of the season something to look forward to, and Jackson is excited for next year's season.
 
Robert Yalda '24
The best part of Robert’s first year at Westminster has been the Halloween Dance in October. He loved the “super scary walk down” led by the Sixth Formers. It was a great experience for him to be able to bond with other students as they walked down the scary path together. Getting ready with friends and hanging out before and after the dance was one of the best moments of his time at Westminster. The community bonding experience was something he looks forward to leading and sustaining when he becomes a Sixth Former in two short years.
 
Maya Tavares '24
My particular favorite part of my Fourth Form year was the very first student organized “stud” that we had on campus. It was such a great way for our form to come together, especially since we had not experienced one of these events yet due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The energy before, during, and after the stud was so energetic and jovial; it was simply the best way to start off the year.

By Carolyn Cheng '24
 
It is found hanging from a rack in a small Chinatown shop on Mott Street where a veteran waits behind the counter. It does not decorate his neck, but it will yours. Your grandmother wore it, your mother wore it, but your daughters might not. When it does not adorn slender necks or wrinkled wrists, it takes an uglier form in a northern city sprawl. It breathes in the edges of tempered glass that embellish skyrise buildings, but you only see it when sunlight bounces off the sidewalk. It is gentrification and antiquity, a bitter combination so beautiful you won’t mind the stain it leaves on your teeth. How can a color so perpetual mangle itself so?

By Finn Seeley '25

While it is a commonly held belief that running is bad for your knees, this turns out to be a misconception. Done correctly, running can actually improve the health inside your knees. Things like overuse and poor form while running can have negative effects on your joints, and the consequences that come from these things often lead people to the conclusion that the action of running is itself detrimental to your knees. This can’t be farther from the truth as running has been scientifically proven to strengthen the cartilage in your knees, decrease tibial and femoral inflammation, and reduce the risk of osteoarthritis.
           
You may be wondering why your knees hurt during or after your runs. This pain can be attributed to multiple factors. The first possibility is that you have a pre-existing condition that flares up with the use of your knee. In these cases, it is really easy to blame running for the hurt that is felt in the knee, but it is not the actual cause of the discomfort. The second potential source of pain in your knee that you associate with running could be caused by a bad running form, surface, or shoe. Some people have a tendency to hit the ground heel first which can lead to a lot of inflammation near your patella. Properly fitted shoes are one key to healthy knees. The sole of the shoe must cater towards the arch of your foot or the shoe could be unhealthy on your knees. Lastly, uneven surfaces can be really impactful on your knees and you are much better off sticking to flat surfaces like a paved road.
           
In addition to good form, running shoes, and running surfaces, things like warming up slowly and running cadence matter as well. A gradual warm-up prior to running is one thing to emphasize before going for a run. The tendons and ligaments in your knees need to be stretched and loose to reduce the pain you may feel later on. The last thing to pay attention to while running is your cadence. A running cadence is the rate of strides that you take. You do not want this number to fluctuate or your knees may not be used to the speed that you are going. Instead, it is ideal to have a consistent rate of strides that you take to preserve the health of your knees.
           
In conclusion, the statement that running is bad for your knees is actually a myth tied to things like pre-existing conditions, poor form, bad equipment, running on uneven surfaces, the lack of a warm-up, or an inconsistent cadence. By keeping all the things listed above in mind, you can turn the action of running from a negative to an extremely healthy part of your day. Rather than causing pain, it can lead to a better lifestyle and increased strength in your knees.

By Cindion Huang '25

Run away with me,
Until the end of time
 
Where sunsets are eternal and love never fades;
Away like asteroids escaping gravity, we
Will leave the whole universe behind,
 
Stars,
Constellations,
Galaxies.
 
We will run as strays of light
Scatter across the air --
As Tyndall effect slowly taking shape, forming
Bits and pieces of light beams that will shine
 
As bright as the Northern Star.
 
Close your eyes and embrace the exquisite eclipse:
Let the feeling of euphoria take over,
Let me be your brightest Moon,
Forever evolving around you.
 
Together, as the distance between us
Slowly lessens, we will discover a stronger
Gravitational force --
Connecting you and me.
 
The nebulas will all gaze upon us,
As we eventually
 
Merge into one.

By James Frangos '24

I believe Wayne Gretzky is the best athlete of all time. When I say athlete, I do not mean in terms of athleticism – I mean most dominant in their sport. Wayne Gretzky is the best hockey player of all time, and there is no argument that can be made otherwise. However, his unbelievable records and stats set him apart from other athletes throughout the sports world.
Wayne Gretzky is a former professional ice hockey player and head coach from Canada. From 1979 to 1999, he played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League for four different teams. Many sportswriters, players, the NHL, and coaches have dubbed him "the Great One" as the best hockey player ever. Gretzky is the all-time leading goal scorer, assist maker, and point scorer in NHL history, with more assists than any other player in the league's history. He is the first NHL player to ever score 200 points in a single season, which he did four times. Gretzky also scored over 100 points in 16 of his professional seasons, 14 of which were consecutive. In 1999, he announced his retirement.

Gretzky’s dominance in the NHL shows us why he is a top athlete through his stats and records. I suppose there could be an argument to be made for an athlete in an individual sport. For example, when I asked my roommate, Will Whiting ‘24, who he thought the best athlete of all time was, he suggested Michael Phelps. However, no other athlete in team sports history has ever come close to generating and lifting a team to the level that Wayne Gretzky has. Gretzky's athleticism resulted in unmatched productivity, as well as awards and titles. No other athlete has ever dominated their sport for as long as Gretzky. The fairest way to assess his exceptional athleticism is to look at the points he's amassed. There are 61 NHL records that are either held or shared by Wayne Gretzky, and some are unbeatable. Among those is his record for most points of all time, where Gretzky has 2,857 career points; meanwhile, the person in second place has 1,921. If you took away Gretzky’s all-time goals, he would still obtain the record for most points ever. Gretzky has four Stanley Cups and 87 more playoff points than Mark Messier, who is second on the list, having played in 28 fewer games. Though Wayne Gretzky played in an era where sports were played in a much different style, his records are still insane even to this day.

I believe Wayne Gretzky should go down as the greatest athlete of all time. His athleticism displayed on ice is unmatched. Gretzky’s records will stand for a long time, if not forever. His dominance in a team sport for such a stretch of time has never been done as well as his. For all these reasons, I believe Wayne Gretzky is the best athlete of all time. 

By Lara Connor '22

Kate swings her legs over the ebbing pier. Just edging on turbulent, the half-moon catches the soup of each minute wave. I’m pretty sure life is easier for all those people who love the ocean, Kate thinks to herself, even if they don’t live near one. Even if they have never touched sand.
           
There’s something about what it takes to love the ocean… the unknown, the salt, the currents that envelop your escaping thighs. The sand that sticks everywhere when you’ve come out and no matter how much you dust and dust you won’t feel clean until someone calls you beautiful again. It would be nice to love the ocean.
           
“I am not an ocean person,” she whispers, aloud this time. The ebbing bay waters beneath her feet do not pull her attention. The damp spray is something she’ll need to wash off before she’s able to force herself to sleep come morning.
           
If the moon were full tonight, glittering the bay in panoramic vision, Hollywood executives would die by the thousands to learn that Kate is, in fact, not happy to be sitting on this dock. Against the waning moon. Alone and young, what everyone’s obsessed with being half of. The Oscars would keel over in golden adoration. But in fact, she’s not thinking about an upcoming audition or the poor boy who’s trying to hack it in Los Angeles that she met on the corner of a wealthy neighborhood with boarded up windows. There is no loss of a father or a secret girlfriend who split open her sexuality before breaking her heart. She contemplates the stillness of her hips and the soft pier beneath them, the pillowy ply that keeps her from plunging into the water at this and every coming moment. This is tolerable still. The adverse such is to be ‘one with the sea’ and while perhaps there are lulls in its motion, should Kate take in all the breath, her scarred lungs can hold and float for as long as God intends, I’m too tired, she thinks, even still. She’s found herself far enough between the entities here. Her own DMZ.
           
Kate fumbles for a light in the 7th-grade daisy dukes which instructed this first time in the night she contemplated her hips. They’d been fitting again. What color will you be? She wonders to a closed palm, having blindly fumbled through her nightstand on her journey to a middle ground. The royal purple surprise melts into the Los Angeles sky, and its light dances with the illuminated windows. What are you doing? Kate wonders. No one blinks back.
           
There’s someone around. A shuffle in the sand beneath the pier that doesn’t evenly stir into the deafeningly predictable flow of the tide. The screenwriter, casting Kate beneath this clear sky and writing her into this lonely life with purple lighters and scarred knees, would throw their star a bone by now. Hopeful for a moment only to be suddenly empty with breath, a homeless man corrals out of the base of the pier, his dark pants awash with saltwater and damp beard catching moonbeams in its dripping.
           
He doesn’t even have a bag, Kate thinks, did you take nothing with you in the fire?
           
​She watches him stumble out of the water’s lapping tongues as if he has anything to give it. He wore shoes into the surf.

By Allen Zhou '23

In a recent Uber ride, I got a 15-minute lecture from the driver about how he makes money trading bitcoins and ethers. Admitting that I am not the most up-to-date person on cryptocurrency and NFTs, I have been asking myself the question: “What is all this buzz about really?” Well, this nagging thought had been consuming my mind for a good while, ever since the first instance of a hideous ape avatar cropped up as a celebrity’s profile picture on social media. So, after wasting precious man-hours not sleeping or reviewing for any of my many upcoming assessments, I have some information to disseminate and a couple of opinions to sling around.
 
To understand the issue at hand, an explanation of the mechanisms and technology it is founded upon is needed. The blockchain is the backbone of the entire concept, a very specific method of data storage. With a traditional database, everything is run on one set of servers where clients store and read information. The blockchain stores data locally on every user’s computer, with every node in the network having access to the data. This means that no node will affect the other; if one client holding the information is somehow attacked and disrupted, others are unaffected. This marks a distinction from the typical database, where if the central server is disabled, the entire system is paralyzed. Another important aspect of the blockchain is that data is arranged into “blocks” and every block is bound to its predecessor, forming the “chain”. The immutability of these blocks means that it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to change, remove, or manipulate data in the blockchain without being easily detected because the same data is stored in sync throughout all nodes over time. It can be used to secure transactions of currency notes, which leads to cryptocurrency. NFT is another application of this technology. It attaches one token to each copy or transaction of an underlying asset. These tokens are non-fungible because they are authenticated by blockchains. Most tokens are fungible, meaning that all the tokens are the same, it does not matter which one you hold. An allegory would be the paper money we use every day: a dollar is a dollar, legal tender no matter which particular dollar you use. While with nonfungible tokens, it matters which particular token you hold; token numbers 16 and 23 are unique and distinct. Usually, these are used to represent and safeguard unique assets, guaranteeing that the owner can be protected against the internet’s power of costless reproduction.

Cryptocurrencies sound great on paper. Any person would greatly appreciate more control over their finances and a more direct stake in the tumultuous marketplace that we live in. Yet we must consider the potential downsides and flaws in embracing these methods of exchange and trade. The two arguably most critical aspects of the base logic for the value of cryptocurrencies have doomed their destiny: their utility as a relatively unmoderated means of common exchange, and the resources expended to create each new block in the blockchain. Certainly, cryptocurrencies are very good in terms of the decentralization of financial power, as previously discussed; but this also leaves them with some very major weaknesses, namely, the difficulty to regulate such an industry. Any attempts by a government to fetter the power of these trading services and wallets would simply destroy part of its functionality, as an unregulated means to avoid middlemen and even conduct some more unsavory business. If we were to adopt some sort of nationally recognized cryptocurrency and backed it with government power, it would erase part of this utility, but leaving it unregulated and still treating it as an official tool of exchange would be economic suicide. There also exists an issue of obtaining the cryptocurrencies themselves: by their nature, to create a new block in the chain for some popular cryptocurrency, e.g. bitcoin, takes a great deal of resources. Currently, the most popular method to generate a new token is through a method called “Proof of Work”, i.e. to solve a mathematical problem for the code of a particular block, the solution of which can be easily double-checked by other users. The energy required to do so typically derives from fossil fuels, meaning that mining bitcoin places quite the heavy strain on our already tenuous environment, and as more blocks are generated, this strain becomes more severe. It also means that individuals with more money to throw at stronger computational power to devote to the task of creating cryptocurrency will permanently have an immense advantage over those with lesser means. The stories we hear of small towns, and regular people profiting from the system are no different than the stories spun by Horatio Alger. The failures and the destitution are always glossed over when it comes to a new and exciting narrative.

NFTs on the other hand might well have some kind of genuine value, mainly because their encryption can be used to safeguard and authenticate valuable physical and digital assets. Yes, the NFT dumb monkey profile pictures actually might be more worthwhile in the long term than bitcoin or Ethereum, simply because of the value of its underlying asset, not NFT itself. All in all, while these new developments have generated a great deal of buzz, I believe that in the long term crypto is merely the new fool’s gold. As I noticed some ads for a Crypto Kids Camp targeting historically underrepresented communities, I am a bit concerned about what they are going to be taught. But who knows, this article of mine can curdle and age like a bucket of anchovies and milk left outside on a hot summer day.

https://www.ibm.com/topics/what-is-blockchain
https://tante.cc/2021/12/17/the-third-web/
https://www.cryptokidscamp.org/

By Alice Tao '24
 
As the son of fashion mogul Gloria Vanderbilt, Anderson Cooper seemed to understand the value of money. With an estimated net worth of $200 million, the successful journalist admitted that his mother made it clear to him that there’s no trust fund. It is common in various work fields that nepotism has become a large topic of debate. So, how is Anderson Cooper, world’s most renowned journalist, different from other trust-fund babies?
 
In 2021, various articles surfaced with the claim that Cooper will not leave his fortune to his son, Wyatt Cooper. It is shocking, to say the least, that such an affluent figure chose not to inherit the “pot of gold”. But, what is Cooper’s reasoning behind this seemingly “irrational” decision?
 
During an interview with Howard Stern in 2014, Cooper stated that, “I think it’s a curse… From the time I was growing up, if I felt like there was some pot of gold waiting for me, I don’t know if I would have been so motivated." Indeed, Cooper believes that large inheritances kill a person’s drive to succeed. He expressed his philosophy that too much wealth can squelch a child’s desire to contribute something to this world. It is fascinating to wonder whether Cooper would have the work ethic to build a glorious career if Gloria Vanderbuilt raised him as a trust-fund baby.
 
So, do trust funds do more harm than good?
 
When you think of trust-fund babies, names like Khloe Kardashian, Paris Hilton and Brooklyn Beckham come to mind. This term describes individuals who depend on their family’s money without needing hard work.
 
After graduating from Dalton at age 17, Cooper traveled across Africa for a “survival trip” and contracted malaria. He described Africa as “a place to forget and be forgotten in."  Needless to say, Cooper was not spoiled with heavenly palaces and he believes that is what gave him the motivation to succeed.
 
On April 30, 2020, Cooper announced the birth of his son Wyatt Morgan Cooper by a surrogate on April 27. Not long after, Cooper declared that he won't leave his son an inheritance.
 
Whether or not Wyatt Cooper will benefit from this humble ideology, we will find out soon …
 

By Peter Miller '22
           
The end of April brings lots of excitement– the heart of spring is right around the corner, the start of stickball season on Williams Hill, and the annual NFL Draft. From April 28th to the 30th, 262 college athletes’ lives will change forever as they receive a phone call from one of the 32 NFL franchises informing them of their selection. After the 2021 draft featured five quarterbacks selected in the top 15, Florida tight end Kyle Pitts set the record for the highest tight end drafted in history at fourth overall, and the Bengals draft kicker Evan McPherson (yes, a kicker) in the fifth round, 2022 is not as star-studded with blue-chip talent. However, this year could potentially be more exciting than last, as the sheer unpredictability of how it will play out has draft experts scrambling to predict the results in their mock drafts. In this article, we will analyze how the incalculable results might play out and receive some team-specific insight from Westminster’s most avid football fans.

In 2021, it was no secret that the Jacksonville Jaguars would select Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence with the first overall pick. Lawrence had been heralded as a future NFL superstar going back to his high school days but was unable to deliver on the hype in his rookie season as coaching turmoil in Jacksonville saw them wind up with the first overall pick yet again in 2022. This year is a tougher projection, however, as the 2022 draft class does not have a must-take player like Lawrence. With the Jags in need of an edge rusher, experts have been debating which end it will be for Jacksonville: Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson or Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux. Before the previous college football season, it was Thibodeaux who was slated to be the top pick. But, after Hutchinson’s breakout season and rumors of Thibodeaux’s potential lack of motivation and commitment to the game, it seems to be a coin flip at this point. If you’re asking me, I would say both are great players who bring different styles off the edge, but Hutchinson seems to be the safer selection and the likely choice in Duval county for general manager Trent Baalke.

After Jacksonville, the Detroit Lions are on the clock. In all likelihood, general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell will select whoever remains between Hutchinson and Thibodeaux, but rumors have emerged that they could be looking to select Liberty QB Malik Willis with the second pick, and may even shock the world and take Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton. Or, a real curveball would be the selection of either top offensive lineman, hybrid tackle/guard Ikem Ekwonu from NC State, or Alabama’s Evan Neal, who some regard as the best player in the whole draft, including myself. If it doesn’t seem like it could be any more confusing, keep in mind the possibility that Detroit could choose to trade back with a team looking to come up for a player they like a lot and add more draft picks over the ensuing seven rounds (the Lions also have the 32nd overall pick, the last in the first round, which they received from the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams when they traded QB Matt Stafford to the west coast). The millions of potential outcomes have captivated NFL fans and draft analysts, despite not being the most talent-filled draft ever.

While I could sit here and hash out a detailed analysis for all 32 NFL teams, I will spare you the extra paragraphs and instead go around the Westminster community to see what our very own NFL enthusiasts think of this year's draft and who they think their favorite team might end up selecting when they go on the clock.

When I asked fellow draft enthusiast and mock draft expert Alexei Kocatas ‘25 about his New York Giants, he was excited about the uniqueness of this year’s draft for Big Blue: “The cool thing about this year is that the Giants have two picks in the top 10,” he said, as the G-men have the 5th and 7th picks after a draft-day trade with the Chicago Bears in 2021. When I asked Alexei who he thinks the Giants will wind up taking, he gave me a detailed explanation: “I feel as though it can go in any direction. Realistically, we’re looking at Ikem Ekwonu or Evan Neal at 5, which would solidify the tackle position for the foreseeable future, and a defensive player at 7, such as Travon Walker (DE, Georgia), Kyle Hamilton, or Amhad “Sauce” Gardner (CB, Cincinnati). However, Giants fans would call this draft a colossal success if they came away with Ekwonu or Neal and Kayvon Thibodeaux.” Kocatas evidently is hoping teams allow the Oregon edge rusher to fall into the Giants’ lap as they address the trenches and provide QB Daniel Jones with some protection up front with their first pick.

Heading to the middle of the draft order, the Baltimore Ravens select at 14th overall. I talked with Ben Mihailovich ‘22 about who he thinks general manager Eric DeCosta may end up selecting: “I’d look for a defender at 14, especially in the secondary at cornerback or safety. I also wouldn’t be opposed to an offensive lineman if we see one we like. I don’t care who, just someone who’s good at football.” Names to keep in mind for Baltimore include Washington’s Trent McDuffie or Florida’s Kaiir Elam at cornerback, Daxton Hill from Michigan at safety, and Northern Iowa’s Trevor Penning at offensive tackle.

A little further on at the 21st pick, the New England Patriots select. After finding the heir to Tom Brady in Mac Jones last year, Ryan Jainchill ‘23 thinks this pick might be on the defensive side: “My hope would be Devin Lloyd (LB, Utah) if he’s available, but the Clemson cornerback [Andrew] Booth Jr. is also of interest.” Jainchill added that he’d prefer defense in the first round because “getting torched in the latter half of the season needs to be addressed.” New England might opt to add a wide receiver in a draft class highlighted by the depth at that position. USC’s Drake London fits the mold of a receiver Bill Belichick likes but may also prefer either one of Ohio State’s wideouts. Garrett Wilson is a crafty route runner who can make defenders miss in the open field, and Chris Olave is a consistent player who can attack all three levels of the defense.

Only time will tell whether or not these first-round predictions will come to fruition for Westy’s own. But there’s one team missing: my very own beloved Indianapolis Colts. (I mean, how can a guy who gave a chapel talk about his favorite team resist the urge to educate the Westminster public on their draft situation?) The interesting thing for Indianapolis is that they do not have a first-round pick, which they lost in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles after acquiring former second overall pick and QB Carson Wentz. (Wentz was traded away after just one season with the team, a sign that general manager Chris Ballard admits that Indy lost the trade). Instead, we will have to wait until Saturday evening for the Colts to select their first player with the 42nd overall pick. With the team in desperate need for wide receivers to help out new QB Matt Ryan, I predict that’s the area they address first. Ideally, I would love Georgia’s George Pickens but would also be elated to land North Dakota State’s Christian Watson, who, in my opinion, has the potential to be an All-Pro caliber player. Tight end is also an area of need, and while the team may choose to wait until their third-round pick to take one, Jeremy Ruckert from Ohio State is my favorite of a very talented group of tight ends in this draft and would love to be able to write his name down on the card. If the team were to go with a defender, University of Texas-San Antonio’s Tariq Woolen would be an intriguing selection at cornerback, and landing Michigan’s other edge rusher, David Ojabo, would be a dream come true. Ojabo was a projected top 15 pick before he tore his Achilles during a pre-draft workout and will instead likely be a second-round pick. The Colts took Michigan DE Kwity Paye in 2021, so reuniting him with his college teammate in Ojabo would make an already lethal pass rush on paper even scarier for the Colts defense.

With all the different options on the table, this year's draft makes up for a lack of star talent with the unpredictability of its outcome. NFL fans across the country and globe will be tuned in on Thursday, April 28th, to see who the Jaguars end up pulling the trigger on. If you feel so inclined to watch it play out yourself, tune into either ESPN or NFL Network on Thursday night for round one. If Day 1 sucked you into the excitement, the second and third rounds, which I would argue are the most unpredictable and the most exciting, begin Friday evening, with rounds 4-7 wrapping up Saturday afternoon. Don’t underestimate the importance of the final day, as those are the rounds where teams find diamonds in the rough. NFL great Tom Brady is perhaps the most famous, being the 199th selection to the Patriots in 2000, and the rest is history. Regardless of your interest in the 2022 NFL Draft, know that millions of people, including some of Westminster’s very own, will be dialed into the first round, hoping to see their team select the player to push them to a Super Bowl title in the future.          

By Cassie Goundrey '24

​Before
 
Her dirty sneakers hit the cement with a consecutive thumping. The blood pounded in her ears as she gasped for air while arriving at the corner where two roads intersect. Her eyes dart quickly back and forth, looking for something. The rising sun begins to illuminate the cookie-cutter single-family homes designed in a maze that surrounds her. A crow caws in the distance, disturbing the silence embracing the morning. Glancing down at her watch, she notes the time 6:43 a.m. Her backpack is heavy with supplies as she waits alone. The unpredictability of the bus is an inconvenience. Waiting, she watches her breath materialize in front of her because of freezing temperatures. The brisk morning smelled of dew on freshly cut grass and the sweet musky scent in the breeze that caught her breath. She heard the grumble of the engine and screech of distant tires before she saw the bright yellow school bus hunker down the street. She walks onto the bus at 6:47 a.m.; she would have made it on time, without sprinting to the bus stop. Instead, the tattered green seats are filled with the same few people stuck without another ride. Their control of time is now left in the hands of the unpredictable time management skills of the bus driver. But the comfort of consistency and faith leaves them without any opposition. She spends the remainder of the ride observing the world through the foggy window drowning out the subtle chatter of her peers with music from her earbuds. Finally, at 7:02 AM, the bus comes to a complete stop in front of the school. The prison-like old building that she called school is filled with mobs of her peers walking around the halls like zombies. Everyone is gathered because it’s required and acquiring the tools needed for success. Everyone is maneuvering through the day in an unspoken self-centered world guarded by various niches and cliques. She keeps her head tilted down towards the odd plastic material of the floor, which is unsettlingly sticky. The clashing of lockers and conversation echo, bouncing through the halls. An utterly ordinary day with a habitual routine.
 
After.
 
Her dirty, blood-stained sneakers hit the cement with a consecutive thumping. The blood pounded in her ears dizzily as she gasped for air while arriving at the corner where two roads intersect. Her eyes dart quickly back and forth, looking for any slight sign of movement, tense at what might catch her eye. The rising sun begins to illuminate the hopelessly demolished cookie-cutter single-family homes designed in a maze, but now the few remaining stand alone amidst the chaos. A crow caws in the distance, disturbing the eerie silence looming above the morning. It was deadly quiet. She felt a bead of sweat drop down the back of her neck. With a quick glance down at her watch, she notes the time 6:43 a.m. Her backpack is heavy with supplies as she waits alone, completely exposed. The unpredictability of the bus is especially an inconvenience. Waiting, she watches her breath materialize in front of her because of freezing temperatures. The brisk morning smelled of rotting flesh and the smoky, bitter scent in the breeze that caught her breath. She heard the grumble of the engine, which sounded like it was about to give out any second, and the screech of overused tires before she saw the dingy yellow bus hunker down the street as if it was in immense pain. She walks onto the bus at 6:47 AM; she would have made it on time, without sprinting to the bus stop, but walking anywhere exposed for a significant amount of time is definitely worth avoiding. The tattered green seats are filled with the same few people, grateful for the ride. Their control of certainty is now left in the hands of the unpredictability of the bus driver. But the comfort of having hope leaves them without any opposition. She spends the remainder of the ride observing the world through what should be the windows. The glass that used to remain there is shattered, painted with blood, and the fog clings to the sky, continuing to cloud her vision. Without light chatter or music, she is drowned in the deafening silence. At 7:02 a.m., the bus comes to a complete stop. The ruined old prison-like building that she once called school is filled with mobs of what used to be her peers. The zombie-like creatures that once roamed the halls are now replaced by the monsters themselves. The smell of fear lingering in the air only adds weight to the pit in her stomach. Everyone is gathered because it’s necessary to raid the supplies left within the school. Everyone alive is maneuvering through their unspoken self-centered world guarded by various cliques of things from nightmares screeching in the distance. She keeps her head tilted up and alert, conscious of her surroundings. With her homemade weapon in hand, she feels her dirty blood-stained sneakers stick to the odd plastic material of the floor. The distant wails and growls echo through the halls, setting an unsettling shiver down her spine. An utterly ordinary day with an unpredictable routine.