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By: Finn Seeley '25
After capping off their 65-63 victory over the Houston Cougars, the Florida Gators have officially earned their third NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, otherwise known as March Madness. While it was their third trophy to bring back to Gainsville, it was the university’s first trophy to bring back since 2007. Todd Golden, the coach of Florida should certainly be praised for bringing them back to the top. The championship game was tight until the end makinging it very entertaining to watch. It was a defense-dominated game as both teams struggled to produce on offense. The game’s greatest scorer, Walton Clayton Jr. managed to drop 20 points, making him the recipient of the Most Outstanding Player award. A Houston guard, Jamal Shead, also had a noteworthy performance, but it was not significant enough to overcome the Gators. Neither team had an easy road to the championship as this year was notable for having very few upsets. In fact, the Final Four was made up entirely of 1-seeds– Florida, Houston, Duke, and Auburn. The odds favored Florida over Auburn in the semifinal which proved to be true, but Houston was considered an underdog headed into their game. Despite this Houston came out victorious after making an impressive comeback. Down by 6 with just 33 seconds to go in the game Houston scored 9 points to win by 3. Overall, despite a lack of upsets, March Madness was the center of media attention for three weeks and it served as entertainment for all those who watched it. The Championship was a nailbiter until the end and a great way to close out the tournament.
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By: Aidan O'Callaghan '26
On Sunday, April 13, 2025, Rory McIlroy won the Masters Tournament, his fifth major, and completed his career grand slam by winning all four majors. He was the sixth person to complete this feat, with Tiger Woods being the last to achieve it in 2000. Rory started off the tournament very slow, ending his first round even par with two double bogeys, which left people wondering whether he would make the cut or not; however, he was able to bounce back in the second round and shot a 66 (-6) and ended the day in 3rd place behind Justin Rose and Bryson DeChambeau. On moving day, he was able to repeat this incredible performance and ended the day -12, with a two-shot lead over DeChambeau. Going into the final round, tensions were high, as these two titans of the sport were about to go head to head as the final pairing, with a green jacket on the line. Things started off incredibly shaky for McIlroy, and he double bogeyed the first hole, with DeChambeau gaining the lead by the second hole; however, slowly but steadily, McIlroy gained his confidence and his lead back, gaining a four stroke lead going into the 13th hole. He had played incredibly well on this hole all week scoring -4 on this hole alone; however, after a layup, he sent his ball into the water, and missed a crucial putt, ending the hole with yet another double bogey. This was his fourth double bogey of the week, and no winner of the masters had ever had more than three. At this point, Justin Rose, who was having an incredible round, was able to tie the score, before gaining the lead when Rory bogeyed the very next hole; however, with some incredible approach shots on 15 and 17, Rory was able to regain the lead and it seemed as if he had the tournament in the bag, all he needed was a par. He played the hole very well, and gave himself a five-foot putt to win the Masters. But he missed! This sent the tournament into a playoff, and Justin Rose, who had just birdied the 18th, seemed a possible come-from-behind favorite to win. Despite this, Rory played the playoff hole perfectly, placing the ball within three feet of the hole, and solidifying his Masters title. This is yet another trophy in McIlroy’s overflowing cabinet, and he undoubtedly will continue to succeed this year and in the years to come. By: Simon Stambaugh '26
Within the Rolling Hills of Simsbury lies one of the best prep hockey teams in New England, the Westminster Martlets. After a rocky start to the season, going 1-2 in December, a 2-2 record in Flood Marr, and 2-4-1 in January, the Martlets desperately needed a swing in fate to begin their hunt for their 2nd large school championship title. In February, they would find that spark as they began a 7 game winning streak, defeating teams like Salisbury, Kent, Avon Old Farms, and Loomis Chaffe. This new high-flying team was led by Sixth Former, Blake Burke ‘25, who either had a goal or an assist in all seven games, with most of his assists going to “Mr Swagger,” Derek Rhodes ‘25. There were also emerging players off the bench, mainly Eric Bruchmann ‘26, who began finding his groove, doubling his stats in January. Lastly was the net minder Jack Fitchthorn ‘26 who, after a couple of rocky games in January, began taking over games by making diving saves and shutouts against Kent and Pomfret. Despite losing to Berkshire to break the seven game streak, the Martlets would finish the season 15-11-2, with 11-3 from February 1st to the end of the season. With this stretch in February, The Martlets secured the 5th seed in the Martin Earl Large School Tournament, where they battled Governors for the first time in their season winning 6-3 through the goals of the aforementioned Bruckmann, Burke, but also Quinn Pine ‘25, Gus (Goose) McGarvey‘26 and Easton Masse ‘25, the Boston College baseball commit. In the semi-finals, the Martlets then took on Belmont Hill, whom they beat a week before the end of the season. They would win 4-3 in what Coach Ben Harff would write was “one of the wildest prep hockey battles this season”: in the dying second of the match, the Sextants would have a 6-4 opportunity where the Martlets held firm to go to the finals and face Andover. Unfortunately, Andover proved to be too much for the Martlets, and they would win the first Martin Earl Large school championship in program history. Despite a painful loss, the Martlets' season was full of thrills and excitement as they look to return to the finals again next season. By Sunshine Li ‘26
Darren Watkins Jr., known by his fans as IShowSpeed, is a popular American YouTuber and online streamer who has amassed over 100 million followers across social media platforms. Speed’s launch to fame began in 2021 when he started focusing his content on soccer, and particularly his love for Cristiano Ronaldo. Some laude his content and others not so much, but his recent endeavors in China have sparked even more conversation surrounding live-streaming and its socio-cultural implications. Since announcing his China tour two weeks ago, Speed has learned kung fu, enjoyed spicy hotpot in Chongqing, challenged locals to push-up battles, strolled with the elderly, painted his face as a panda in Chengdu, and even completed a backflip on the Great Wall of China. The 20-year-old’s interactions with popular singer Jackson Wang and internet meme star “Super Idol” have the Chinese youth hooked, and even the Chinese embassy is giving him the nod of approval. Speed has been nicknamed “Hyperthyroid Bro” by Chinese netizens for his unbound energy and enthusiasm, but his influence reaches far beyond just lighthearted entertainment. Whether intentional or not, Speed is becoming a political influence, too. An article from ChinaNews praises how “Darren successfully bypassed geopolitical narratives and presented an unfiltered, authentic China to his global audience through vivid videos.” Upon reading this statement, I thought it was too good to be true. Could a young internet personality really melt away years of hostility between the East and the West? Was Speed’s portrayal of China actually “authentic,” or was his fame and status as a rich streamer bringing only the best parts to light? I sought to answer these questions and more with the help of some fellow students. Let’s hear what Isla Cauchi ’28, Ellie Mallet ’28, and Jasmine Fu ‘27 think about Speed and his recent China endeavors. Isla admitted, “I don't really know much about IShowSpeed, honestly,” while Ellie confessed, “I don’t know who he is.” Jasmine added, “I didn't really know him before he went to China.” However, that changed after IShowSpeed’s trip went viral. “I saw him with Super Idol,” Jasmine said, referring to a meme-turned-viral song from the COVID era. “Oh my gosh, I know Super Idol!” Isla chimed in. IShowSpeed’s collaboration with the singer of “Super Idol” caught many by surprise. “I didn’t expect it,” Jasmine admitted, “but it was fun. I liked seeing them interact.” So what makes IShowSpeed so appealing to audiences in China, a country known for its more conservative culture? Jasmine believes it comes down to personality. “His energy is really contagious. He just brings a good vibe. Sometimes it’s a little too much, but in that particular livestream I watched, it was fun.” Isla offered a simpler explanation: “He’s popular! You know, he’s funny.” Then she paused and asked, “Isn’t he British?” to which the group collectively burst into laughter and confusion. “Maybe not,” Isla said. “I might’ve made that up.” Regardless of his nationality, IShowSpeed seems to resonate across borders. His ability to connect with young people around the world demonstrates how humor, charisma, and internet culture can bridge East and West. As Jasmine put it, “It’s just the vibe.” By: James Teng ‘26
In the wave of rapid urbanization, rural China experienced a significant proportion of young adults, below the age of 40, traveling to work in the city in search of better economic opportunities. The loss of young vigilant work forces created obstacles for rustic developments but also physical and psychological challenges for the elderly generation still living in rural areas. The rural elderly population is jeopardized economically. In many rural areas of China, the conventional family structure was overturned. Traditionally, Chinese families followed the principle of “raising children to support parents in old age.” Yet, those elders who once relied on intergenerational support were now isolated from their adult children, who work in distant urban centers; consequently, they placed childcare responsibility on their shoulders. According to the 2023 statistics from the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs, a staggering 72% of rural elders, with an average age of 68.4, were given the responsibility of raising their grandchildren. Yet, they lacked enough pension and social support. The monthly pension they receive from the New Rural Insurance Pension, a little over £10.70, is nowhere near enough to cover their daily expenses, let alone the expensive urban-level education their grandchildren need to receive. Annual childcare cost is approximately £3800, nearly 14.2 times the pension an elder may receive. Therefore, many look to sell their crops to make money. Around £800 can be made each year, but if a drought occurs, this number could be halved, sometimes zero. The inbalance between modern expenses and tenuous pensions resulted in harsh conditions for this retired population. In addition to the financial plight, digitalization and modernization in China have disproportionate negative impacts on rural elderly populations. Study shows that urban elders are much more comfortable in the digitalized world and are more capable of adapting to the changes than rural elders. While most urban elders receive training to help them integrate into the evolving society, many rural elders lack the support that they desperately need. Many essential tasks such as purchasing goods, scheduling medical appointments, and managing banking transactions, have transitioned to a digital platform post-COVID-19, forcing these rural elders to choose between digitalizing and becoming marginalized by society. Technology, after all, will not wait for them. Beyond this technology gap, many rural elders face emotional and physical challenges. While their children may call occasionally, opportunities for offline, face-to-face conversations are rare, leaving them without meaningful emotional support in the face of growing technological and social isolation. Often, they are left alone and helpless under great economic and psychological pressure while having to take care of their grandchildren every day. This prolonged loneliness and neglect may accumulate and transform into depression, while the physical demands of daily childcare gradually take a toll on their bodies, particularly their joints. Many receive less than 5 hours of sleep each day as they care for the children after dark. A report from the Peking University showed that those elders, who had to take care of their grandchildren alone, had a 47% incidence rate of arthritis – 28% higher than people of similar age – and a 31% chance of depression, which is 2.3 times the chance of elders that are not responsible for childcare. These stark figures expose the emotional neglect and chronic physical pain experienced by rural elderly, underscoring the urgent need for comprehensive social support systems to address this issue. Several solutions should be proposed to ameliorate the challenging situations faced by the rural Chinese elderly population. The government should strengthen rural pension schemes and provide additional financial subsidies to help compensate for the economic stress due to the cost of childcare. Local community centres and elderly care programs should be more accessible to rural communities, creating more social interaction opportunities to help soothe emotional stress. Non-profit organizations should develop training programs with local communities to ensure that the benefit of technological progression reaches everyone. Elderly people should not be pushed to the margins of society. By: Mira Hugabonne '25
Your Smile — for my mother Your Smile A diamond in the rust A gold nugget in the dust Shimmering with authenticity Glistening with truth Brimming with relief Beaming with gratitude A ray of gold dawning light Sun ray kind of bright Gleaming with happiness Cheeks tinted pink Shining with love Laughing sweet She looks natural She looks beautiful Capture a picture The sunny kind of pure Like blossoms in a city Like aurora kind of pretty This beauty is quite rare to see So try to make it stay as long as can be By: Sunshine Li ‘26
I did not get enough sleep last year. On a regular night, I got around six hours of solid snooze time; add an hour to that, and Fourth Form Sunshine would consider it a good night. Eight hours would’ve been a super good night – I could count the total number of those on two hands. Occasionally, perhaps once every two weeks, I would wake up groggy from just four or five hours of shut-eye, then catch another minute as I brushed my teeth and a few more during Block 6 math. The Center for Disease Control says that about 7 out of 10 high school students don’t sleep enough during the school week. Unfortunately, myself and many others were part of that statistic. Parents tell kids to go to bed early, and everyone knows that sleep is important, but apart from avoiding drowsiness during the day, how important is getting enough sleep for teenagers, and how bad can it be if I don’t? The effect of sleep on adolescent cognitive function has been studied widely, and the consensus is clear: sleep is incredibly important for teenagers. During adolescence, circadian rhythms shift a couple of hours later; hence, our bodies are naturally inclined to sleep later and wake up later. This is a phenomenon called delayed phase preference. However, just because adolescents feel as if we can stay up later doesn’t mean our bodies require less sleep. In fact, teens need even more sleep than 10-year-olds: Johns Hopkins pediatrician Michael Crocetti says that, ideally, we should get 9 to 9½ hours of sleep per 24 hours, since “‘teenagers are going through a second developmental stage of cognitive maturation,’” and this extra hour of sleep can help the brain thrive. In the late 1990s, the Minneapolis public school district pushed back school start times by 1 hour and 25 minutes, changing it from 7:15 am to 8:40 am. By the year 2000, they found that attendance rates had improved, especially among high school freshmen, and that students slept around five more hours per week than they had before the change in school start time. While public high schools in America start at an average time of 8:00 am, Westminster beats that by 20 minutes – and you can be sure we are using those 20 minutes to the fullest. I experienced the detrimental effects of sleep deprivation first-hand last year, living in a constant state of exhaustion and often acting more like a zombie than a human. The Sleep Research Society conducted a study adequately named “Need for Sleep” that showed similar results to my experience. Researchers restricted adolescent participants’ sleep to only 5 hours per night for 7 consecutive nights to “investigate the effects of sleep restriction on cognitive performance, subjective sleepiness, and mood in adolescents.” Randomly allocated to either the sleep restriction (SR) or control groups, 56 healthy teenagers underwent a variety of cognitive tests. Throughout the manipulation period, the SR group showed a progressive decline in positive mood, a rise in subjective tiredness, and a decline in sustained attention, working memory, and overall function. What I found surprising is that even after two recovery nights with 9 hours of sleep per night, the SR groups’ measurements on those aspects had not returned to baseline levels. The study establishes a negative correlation between partial sleep deprivation and cognitive function–the more sleep-deprived a student is, the worse their cognitive functions will be. Upon reading these results, I really reconsidered my self-proclaimed ability to catch up on a week’s worth of lost sleep in a single Saturday snooze. At the end of the day, it’s night. And, at night, we should be dreaming about fluffy sheep and cotton candy instead of cramming in a last-minute test review as the wheels in our brains rust by the second. Last year’s sleep schedule was rough to say the least, but I’m proud to say that, for Fifth Form Sunshine, eight hours is a regular night, just as it should be. Works Cited Kirby, Matthew, Stefania Maggi, and Amedeo D’Angiulli. “School Start Times and the Sleep-Wake Cycle of Adolescents: A Review and Critical Evaluation of Available Evidence.” Educational Researcher 40, no. 2 (2011): 56–61. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41058203. Lo, June C., Ju Lynn Ong, Ruth L.F. Leong, Joshua J. Gooley, and Michael W.L. Chee. “Cognitive Performance, Sleepiness, and Mood in Partially Sleep Deprived Adolescents: The Need for Sleep Study.” Sleep 39, no. 3 (March 1, 2016): 687–98. https://doi.org/10.5665/sleep.5552. “Sleep in Middle and High School Students.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, September 10, 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/features/students-sleep.htm#:~:text=How%20much%20sleep%20someone%20needs,10%20hours%20per%2024%20hours. “Start Time for U.S. Public High Schools.” U.S. Department of Education NCES, February 2020. https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2020/2020006/index.asp#:~:text=While%20the%20average%20start%20time,8%3A15%20a.m.%2C%20respectively. “Teenagers and Sleep: How Much Sleep Is Enough?” Johns Hopkins Medicine, March 25, 2022. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/teenagers-and-sleep-how-much-sleep-is-enough. By: Summer Zhang '28
Sitting in the car, watching unfamiliar landscapes pass by, I can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong. Everything feels off. With the lingering smell of disinfectant in the seats and my heart pounding against my chest, I try to calm myself. “Sunshine, Sunflower, and Sun-rays groups! Come pick up your child!” the teacher calls out. Five-year-old me, in the Sunflower group, stands enthusiastically, waiting for my mom. It’s the home day at my boarding school. I say "school," but our little place wasn’t really a “school” school. It was more of a boarding-fun-small-playground-extracurricular-kindergarten-childcare-center. When the teacher calls my name, I run out the door—only to see my uncle waiting, not my mom. “Where is Mommy?” “Oh, she’s traveling in another city. Her flight is tomorrow morning, so I came to pick you up.” “Why you?” “No one wants to pick you up.” I frown. “Just kidding,” he says. My uncle is always joking, though no one ever laughs. He’s not as strict as my grandpa. He’s more like my mom—unpredictable. Sometimes things get out of hand. I remember once when he broke my cousin’s finger playing catch. It was chaos. I climb into his car, which always smells like new leather—though I doubt it’s real because of the strange smell. “We’re heading back to your house first,” he says, turning around. “Put your seatbelt on.” He rarely drives me. Usually, it’s my cousin or my mom who picks me up. The drive is about an hour and a half. I like looking out the window and knowing the route well. So when we suddenly take a different turn, my stomach drops. He didn’t take the exit. The last exit before the toll! In my city, tolls have people and booths—you can pay with cash, a card, or an e-pass. As a kid, I considered the toll the “Door to the Other Side.” Once you pass it, you’re out of the city. I panic. That exit was our last chance. How will we get back home now? “We passed the exit! What are we gonna do now?” I ask, my voice trembling. “Calm down. You’re not going to die or stop breathing. It’s not a big deal,” he replies. “But it is! That was the only way home!” “Maybe it’s a fun trip to the other side of the door. Another city? Who knows—you might get kidnapped and travel around the country! Ha ha!” I freeze. Another city? Being kidnapped? Never coming back? My mind spirals. My uncle is taking me away. No one would suspect him—he’s my mom’s brother. It would take days for her to figure it out. By then, I’d be gone. “Turn back! Slow down! Please!” I cry. “Why should I? Maybe we’ll go to another city today. Besides, there’s another exit—we just have to pay.” If I had heard the last sentence, I might’ve realized it was a joke. But I was too scared. I thought he was serious. My brain raced. Where would I end up? What would Mom do when she came home and didn’t see me? Then, suddenly, an idea hit me. “No… you can’t go to another city.” “Why not?” “Because it’ll cost too much money for gas. You wouldn’t want to waste money.” He paused. The car slowed for a moment of silence… then he burst out laughing. “Alright, alright, I’ll bring you home. I told you—there’s another exit,” he said, turning the car. “Really?” I asked. “Yeah, but we’ll pass my house first.” The rest of the ride was quiet. My heart still pounded, and the fear stayed with me. I imagined what might’ve happened if I hadn’t spoken up. Being kidnapped, taken by traffickers… Mom would never find me. I didn’t want to think about it. After two hours, we got home. “That was a fun ride, wasn’t it?” he said. “The ride was not fun,” I replied. “Yeah, yeah, yeah… not fun,” he said, laughing so hard he had to say it half-seriously. Even now, when I think or write about it, I can still feel that fear. Though I now know he was just joking and did plan to take the other exit, for years I believed I’d saved myself by bringing up the cost of fuel. I think my uncle is kidnapping me because he is taking me away from our house. That’s why, in my mind, he didn’t kidnap me after all. By: Simon Stambaugh '26
The Minecraft Movie is one of the worst movies I have ever seen; however, through its failures, you will see one of the most laugh-out-loud funny movies of this year. This movie follows Steve played by Jack Black, Garret “the Garbage Man” Garrison, played by Jason Momoa, Dawn, played by Danielle Brooks, Henry, played by Sebastian Eugene Hansen, and Natalie, played by Emma Myers, who are dragged into the minecraft world where they must stop an evil pig sorcerer from bringing and eternal darkness to the “overworld”. Despite having a solid main cast, only two actors capture the feeling of the movie. Jack Black and Jason Moama are the foundation to this heap of garbage, with Black’s witty one liners such as “Chicken Jockey”, “I… am Steve”, and my personal favorite “Flint and Steal”, while Jason Momoa’s attitude and pure acting skills shine in an over-the-top washed up video game champion. However, Natalie and Henry have the most generic brother and sister dynamic of all time as the story never fleshes out their dynamic enough or allows certain sentiment moments to hit. With that being said, if you wish to see Jack Black and Jason Momoa say moronic lines, this is the the movie for you. However, if you wish to see a more emotionally provoking story, then the Oscar-winning movie The Whale may be more up your alley. By: Chip Genung '25
The birds are chirping, the sun sets later each day, and, once again, the quad is packed with lively activity. You know what that means: stickball is back! And this year, thanks to the excitement of the commissioner, Mr. Vargas, it is bigger and better than ever. In addition to running the season, Mr. Vargas, with the help of the Flock, is planning a school-wide pep rally to kick off the stickball season. This will excite students for the season, and all are encouraged to attend. This year, the Prefect Board and the Flock are taking a leading role in facilitating and organizing stickball, and with good reason. This is because it has been noticed that there has not been a complete season since the 2021-2022 school year. This means the current Sixth Formers have not seen a winner since they were Third Formers. This realization has brought a lot of new energy to the endeavor and has caused a lot of excitement within the class of 2025 to lead their dorms with energy. Additionally, a change made this year is the reduction from five playing fields to three playing fields. This change was made because it allows all games to be played on the quad, which has been found to encourage games to finish and higher player attendance. The final major change is the role captains are expected to play. Team captains were chosen early and are expected to be active leaders, which is meant to encourage full team participation and a complete season. The student leaders have taken it upon themselves to make this year the comeback season for stickball, so get out there and have fun! |
Photos from Verde River, Manu_H, focusonmore.com, Brett Spangler, Cloud Income