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By Jamai Miller ’22 and Elle Dorrian ’22
(This article contains spoilers up to Season 2, Episode 4.) Unless you’ve been living completely under a rock since the beginning of 2022, you know it’s Euphoria season. Our TikTok feeds are flooded with theories and our Sephora carts are filled with glitter eyeshadow. Apart from raging over Fez and Lexi’s unexpected relationship, many are wondering how Maddie goes to school dressed to the nines with only her trendy minuscule purse, incapable of holding a pencil (much less textbooks…) By Allen Zhou ’23
Like many fellow anxious Westminster Fifth Formers, I started working on my SAT before the school year even started. After being tormented by the specter of the SSAT during my middle school years, I always doubted the value of these standard tests. Officially known as the Scholastic Aptitude Test, the SAT is designed to evaluate students’ capability of taking on challenging workloads in college; over the past 90 years or so, SAT and its younger sibling, ACT, have become an inevitable rite of passage for bright young people before they take the next step in their lives. Yet, over the years, the value of these standardized tests has come under increasing scrutiny on both fronts of merits and equity. By Cindion Huang ’25
I sensed it, The boiling fury that is about to burst through my skin, When you, out of all people Slapped me with the words: “I don’t care.” I felt it, The strong, desperate agony as it filled up my body Like a rushing river. It slowly yet thoroughly devoured me As you chose to utterly disappear from my world. Distressed and Anxious, I stuffed all my emotions in a bottle -- A one-way bottle that can only fill up, A bottle only I had the access to -- And so I pretended that nothing’s wrong with my life, Answering each “How are you today?” with “I’m fine!” “It’s good.” “Oh I’m doing very well.” I kept telling myself: As long as no one – including me – Acknowledged the existence of the bottle It’d vanish completely, Like snowflakes melting upon the touch of water. But I should’ve known, That there will always be a limit As to how much emotional waste a bottle can hold, And one day -- It will shatter. By Chip Genung ’25
Recently, the Third Form had a student council election to choose the officers that will help to improve the form in any way they can. The elections, held in late November, had fifteen candidates running. There were six form officer positions, one vice president position, and one president position. The results were announced shortly before winter break. Ben Swift ’25 was elected president, and Will McCarthy ’25 was elected vice president. Georgia Dorrian ’25, Chip Genung ’25, Adrienne Hall ’25, Alexei Kocatas ’25, Finn Seeley ’25, Jake Timone ’25 and Lucy Wainwright ’25 were all elected form officers. Though having had only one meeting with the full student council and one meeting with the individual form student council, they have many ideas for form and school-wide events, as well as ideas for other ways to improve our school community. By Maya Tavares ’24
Each year, the Fourth Formers participate in a course titled “Civic Engagement and Public Speaking.” We meet once a week and discuss various theoretical subjects as a class. The course is taught by the renowned Todd Eckerson, a dedicated man who has taught for decades. Students have enjoyed learning about different theoretical perspectives and social issues via guided class discussions. As the material is thoughtful and engaging, students feel encouraged to speak freely and gain confidence throughout the course. Each year, Mr. Eckerson most enjoys the chance to get to know the Fourth Form. As he observes the class, he recognizes the student's progression in confidence throughout the course. He hopes that the class will help students to “take out a sense of truly engaging in Westminster,” and develop a “greater ease for public speaking.” As we reach the halfway point of the year, many students believe that this has been a reality for them, as they find that the skills they have learned in class have translated into their other schoolwork. While this class is to some extent a demanding course when it comes to the essay writing portion, many students appreciate the refreshing “book-less” experience. This essential time to speak about civil conversations is what makes it such a unique class and is debatably one of the best ones at Westminster. By Alice Tao ’24
In June 2019, freeskier Eileen Gu made a decision that would change the future of freeskiing. Fifteen-year-old Eileen Gu chose to switch from Team USA to represent her mother’s homeland China, with the hope to compete in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. She explained on Instagram that this was her opportunity to inspire millions of young Chinese girls while promoting the sport she truly loves to a country where freeskiing was a weakness. She expressed her ambition to help push China in focusing more on snow sports. This surprising announcement shocked millions of fans globally, including infuriated ones who did not understand why. Born and raised in San Francisco, California, Gu speaks fluent English and Mandarin. Her Chinese mother Yan Gu always emphasized and imprinted the Chinese culture and values in her daughter and raised her to appreciate her roots. During her childhood in Beijing, her mixed-race appearance would force her to stand out among the locals, which she wasn’t too happy about. She stated, “I feel Chinese in China, and American in America.” Eileen Gu is fast becoming a household name since her debut as a Chinese freeskier and has graced the covers of several fashion magazines. She is the face of many international fashion houses such as Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co, and Victoria’s Secret. It seems like her life is on the right track to success. In December 2020, Gu received acceptance to Stanford University, which was her biggest dream aside from competing in the Olympics. She proved to herself and the world that athletes can excel academically too. Gu scored 1580 out of 1600 in the SATs while graduating high school a year early to prepare for the Beijing Olympics. On the ski slopes, Eileen is unstoppable. Her 2021 started with two golds at the Winter X Games, becoming the first female rookie to win two gold medals and the first Chinese to win gold in the event’s history. While breaking countless barriers, Eileen’s winning streak does not end there. She continued the feat at the 2021 FIS Snowboard and Freeski World Championships in Aspen, where she won multiple golds with a broken finger. Later in the year, Gu became the first women’s skier to land a double cork 1440 in Austria. She continues to stun the world as she breaks records and records. Gu is favored to win half-pipe, big air, and slopestyle in the Beijing 2022 Olympics. Let’s follow along with genius Eileen Gu’s Olympic journey. By Heather Zhu ’23
Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, Yale University, California Institute of Technology, Dartmouth College … The names of 16 well-known, top universities and colleges, familiar to almost every high school student across the nation, appeared in the federal court of Illinois as they are faced with a lawsuit accusing them of price fixing and overcharging hundreds of thousands of current and former students eligible for financial aid within the last two decades. United States’ most prestigious universities, supposedly meritocratic and need blind, are in fact sued for discrimination against students of lower income. Although it is legal for schools a part of the President 568 group — an affiliation of colleges and universities, founded in 1994, who practice need blind policies — to share formulas when calculating financial aid, the financial needs of an applicant should not be a factor of their admissions decision. The current lawsuit filed by five former students from some of the 16 defendant schools alleged that nine colleges, such as University of Pennsylvania and Vanderbilt University, have unlawfully taken students’ ability to pay into their waitlist admission decisions while the other seven schools, though not guilty of such practice, were aware of their conspiracy. Families with lower income bear the burden of unfair admission practices for waitlisted applicants with greater need for financial aid have a lower chance of getting accepted. The discriminatory favor of wealthy students and the members of the ‘568 price fixing cartel’s’ collusion to minimize the amount of financial aid offered to students have inflated the price of attending these elite universities. The right to higher education, often seen as the key to upward social mobility for lower/ middle income families, has been hindered by the unjust admission practices of colleges. The plaintiff calls on other alumni, who were overcharged for their attendance in the aforementioned universities, and current students, whose financial aid have been limited due to illegal practices of the ‘cartel’, to join them in their lawsuit against these schools. The plaintiff hopes to end admissions bias based on financial needs. By Grace Yuan ’23
When the omicron variant was discovered, Boris Johnson implemented Plan B measures, which included making face masks mandatory in most indoor public settings such as public transportation, shops and theaters and cinemas, and advising people to work from home whenever possible. A recent negative test or a COVID pass is necessary for bigger venues, as part of a plan to prevent the spread of the highly infectious version. High school students must wear masks in classrooms as part of the strategy to reduce the transmission of the highly infectious form. Building 40 new hospitals, overhauling social care, hiring and keeping 50,000 more nurses, and generating 50 million more GP surgery appointments are still priorities for Boris Johnson's government. Infection management during the COVID-19 pandemic is the government's top concern for adult social care. For the elderly, care facilities are especially susceptible since their occupants are often at most risk owing to their ages, and the architecture of care homes means that the virus may spread swiftly in enclosed settings. There is a comprehensive strategy to assist the 25,000 care home providers in England who have been affected by the emergence of COVID-19, including increasing testing and re-engineering the delivery of Personal Protective Equipment, or PPE. 33 members of NHS and local authorities are working together on supporting the extra requirements of people leaving the hospital during the pandemic, with £3.2 billion in additional cash having been provided, which may be used to address some of the higher costs the providers are experiencing as well as increased strains on social care. After everything is said and done, the United Kingdom has started on a large booster vaccination campaign since the Prime Minister has implemented measures, which has resulted in a reduction in the number of omicron cases. Booster injections restore most of the COVID vaccination protection that has been lost as a result of fading immunity, as well as protection against the more transmissible variety, which has weakened the potency of Covid shots much more than its predecessor, the delta strain.  By Johnathan Li ’24
(Image: Neural networks that emulates Deleuze’s conception of a Rhizome) We reduce to the most fundamental binary: A and B. Why do we name one A and the other B? Why do we consider their similarities and differences based on the fact that they are one and the same? This is the perspective that has long dominated Western intellectual thought: A cannot be B, and B cannot be A. By Ryan Jainchill ’23
On Sunday, Feb. 13 at 6:30 p.m., Super Bowl LVI (56) will conclude the 2021 NFL season at the brand-new SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. A season full of exhilarating games ends with a matchup that no one would have predicted back in August– the Cincinnati Bengals vs. Los Angeles Rams. Both teams feature high-flying offenses, firing on all cylinders throughout the season; both also have solid defenses and special teams units, making this matchup particularly interesting. Let’s take a look at each team and their path to the big game.  By Chip Genung ’25 and Maya Tavares ’24
Last week, we had the opportunity to interview Westminster’s foremost student leader, Cooper Kistler ’22. Under the dim lighting of the Alumni common room, we have been able to take a look inside the mind of one of our great student leaders. We asked him questions about his experiences as Head Prefect so far and the road he took to excel as a leader.  By Alice Liu ’23
Fall term elapsed quickly. In retrospect, it contained many memorable moments. For new students, it was a time of adapting to the vibe of a new community; for athletes, it was a return to interscholastic competitions after a year of remission; for distance learners from last year, it was a time of readjusting to wearing jeans or blazers. But of all the moments that comprise this term, the one that stands out the most is perhaps the fall long weekend. For all of us, following a two-month grind, it was a much-needed time of relaxation and rejuvenation.  By Michaela Crabtree-Crowley ’22
Since the beginning of the Fall Term, there has been much talk among Sixth Formers and faculty about whether the Sixth Form English curriculum needs to change and what about the elective program might be altered. By Elle Dorrian ’22 and Jamai Miller ’22
So, the time has come to address the elephant CONSTANTLY in the room in an official, published space under a “Westminster Name.” The dress code. But seeing as how the Westminster faculty are tasked with imposing the traditional “workplace aesthetic” and “odd” second layer rules onto their student body, it may be ironic for the dress code to be addressed by two seniors who are honestly just tired of seeing the same stuff every day. With that said, let’s be clear from the get-go, Elle Dorrian ’22 and Jamai Miller ’22, just like a large percentage of the Westminster population, have serious beef with the dress code. But that’s a conversation for another time. For now, we have to work with what we’ve got. But that doesn’t mean we have to settle for boring; there are ways to spruce ourselves up within the context of these rules. Over our career at Westy, we’ve found ways to be fashionable, letting our personal fashion flares peek out of the traditional boarding school identity this dress code tries to lock everyone into. And so, we offer you a few tips. By Lara Connor ’22
I can’t fathom that it was just three years ago I crowded around a laptop with my fellow Gund girls, dissecting an open Westminster directory filtered to the faces of the Third Form class. Pointing, laughing, we calling dibs on dates and switching tabs from the portal directory to Revolve’s “Little Black Dress” edit. I think I ordered and returned four different dresses before finding the “perfect” one. You’ll never realize the versatility of a black fabric scrap until you look for a winter formal dress. But first, you might need to find a date. So, ladies, get your ID cards out and trot those Vejas down to the school store, snatch up some sharpies and poster boards while they’re still in supply. It’s formal season, everyone! By Keegan Bankoff ’22
In the first issue of this year’s newspaper, I wrote about the surprising chaos in college football and how it has affected every aspect of the game. CFB fans—myself included—love this, as increased chaos means more exciting games. Since then, this pandemonium has only continued. For thirteen out of fourteen weeks this season, at least one top-ten ranked team has lost. That may not seem that crazy, but it is insane. There is a glimmer of hope for different, often-overlooked teams vying for a National Championship or a New Years’ Six Bowl appearance in a sport usually controlled by the blue-blood programs. Despite all of this, a new kind of chaos has emerged over the past few days. By Alex Shao ’22
What is your first impression of Memorial? Is it people running up and down the staircase, or people chatting with each other in the common room? For me, it is not any of the above; instead, I imagine exit signs hanging from the ceiling, clinging with only two wires. By Lara Connor ’22
Marcus Aurelius’ “Meditations” was never intended for public consumption. For that reason, it has long enthralled, encouraged and escaped me. The emperor’s private thoughts delineated the little impact he would have on the next inevitable instances in the dwindling days left to call yourself alive. Had he spoken with such humility publicly, it’s expected that his empire would have been struck and besieged by those who gleaned him weak, sorely confident, and ill-fitted for defense. Dying under the impression he’d be taking his words with him, they have posthumously directed readers to meditate on their own insignificant — but not unimportant — role in the world. By Cindion Huang ’25
I slowly realize the reason why I’m not happy is that I always anticipated a result -- an approval, a grade, like a “gain” in a trade. I read books and novels hoping I would take something from it I go on a diet wishing I could be skinnier; Send a message to someone anticipating their response; Posting photos on social media waiting to receive likes and comments; Attending an event not only to socialize but also craving for a tremendous experience. And I was always expecting others to treat me the same way as I treat them -- Admit it, We all do. And when these “expectations” do successfully accomplish, “phew” was often the word that came up with relief. And when they don't? We would blame ourselves for it so hard that The momentary happiness we felt Will quietly slip out the window, Like morning fog disappearing into daylight. Yet when we were younger, We would spend a whole fall afternoon watching tiny ants painstakingly moving pebbles, We would watch and wait for a flower to bloom in the sunshine, When we were younger, Nothing else matters -- No grades or test scores, No struggles over relationships, No deadlines of assignments and papers, When we were younger, We only knew how to laugh and cry. By Sung Min Cho ’22
“Take Me Home” is my favorite studio album from One Direction. I live in New England. I am a Sixth Former. I take those weird classes that make me pay the ridiculous $95 fee and am handed back an assortment of numbers that go from 1 to 5. So, I need music that can elevate the ugly to the happy. I think of it like alchemy, and “Take Me Home” by One Direction, imbued with an explosion of synths, tossed in a dressing of boring-yet-timeless romantic lyricism, is a lot like a philosopher’s stone. The album transmutes an hour of a cold, base, metallic day — the wretched — to an ethereal, golden, sentimental experience — the sublime. Go listen to “Take Me Home.” |
