the westminster news
Published by the students of Westminster School
By Meiyin Ren ’25 Soft robotics refers to the designs of devices that are constructed with materials like fluids, gels and elastomers, making them easily deformable and capable of compliance-matching, the principle where contacting materials share a similar mechanical rigidity to evenly distribute loads and minimize stress at interfaces. In recent years, the scientific world has witnessed a growing demand for robots that can mimic the elastic and rheological properties found in natural materials and organisms due to the challenges posed by rigid robots, which can often damage softer materials such as the skin, muscle tissues, or delicate organs when interacting. In response to this challenge, soft robotics have become a promising solution with their potential for compliance-matching. The significant difference in mechanical compliance between rigid robots and soft materials highlights the incompatibility and potential dangers of using rigid robots for close human interaction.
Soft robotics has revolutionized the health care industry and space exploration. In the realm of device-led physical rehabilitation, soft robotics marks a significant paradigm shift. Unlike cable-driven exosuits that mimic the muscular system which require precise anchor-point positioning, soft robotics, particularly those utilizing pressurized fluids such as compressed air, offer a more effective choice for rehabilitation exosuits. Their flexibility allows them to conform to the external structure of the human body, making them ideally suited for such applications. With its varied forms and power transmission methods, soft robotic technology overcomes the limitations of traditional approaches. The pliability of materials and the utilization of compressed air in pneumatic rehabilitation devices address challenges like excessive inertia and misalignment, thus preserving the body's natural range of motion and flexibility. This enhances support for daily activities and holds profound significance for rehabilitation. Moreover, the qualities of soft robotics make it an exemplary material for devices used in space exploration. Soft robotics are fabricated from soft materials, which minimizes the risk of human injuries or damage from collisions, meaning that they can adapt effortlessly to various surfaces and environments. This adaptability renders soft robotics an ideal choice for the challenges of space exploration.
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By Carolyn Cheng ’24 black rook to blank check,
I rush to a limp hand imagined from hospital wall, six hours spend booked crosswords, personal hell if you were still here, you'd beg me to leave, the nurses tired beckoning for us, red clocks concussed, mauve, the porcelain against back drop, your hand You are dead I am still rook choking a crossword square, stalking the unwashable body snatched of sorrow stolen, the lovered spring steamed silver, the baby's breath wisped behind my ear across your bodice, I splashed water on your sunbathed spine By Sabrina Yang ’26 Endless blue fading into an endless void
Reaching for the light An intangible object of hope The riptides carry life to the edge Where crystal droplets fall Into the nothingness below Knowledge, black matter, justice The concept of right or wrong, true or false Distorted in endless spirals Love, hate, blessings The ideas of which sustain life Warped into endless streaks of color Hidden to those who seek the abyss Revealed to those who shatter reality The blood dripping off their hands As they reach the end of the world By James Teng ’26The extended years separated the living and the dead,
Whom is remembered by nought. To my mind the memories brought, The past could not be forgot ( forgotten ) From me, Her lonely grave stands thousands of miles away. The accumulative thoughts, With no one to say. Even if she is alive and able to see, Could she still recognize me? With my weathered face, And living in a shattered place, In life, I have no faith. Last night I dreamed, The train that took you away steamed. Before you left, We remain hushed. Looking deeply into each other, Our tears rushed. Waking up in my bed, I reclined. Looking out the window, My vision aligned. Along with the barren dirt and the lonely grave, The moon alone shined (shone). By Tomas Figura ’25Write something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Eerie chords in the silence of wailing
deep as the night, as the mournful whine and hollow as the resonant drum notes. Grasshoppers prance across the fields in the celestial race for life where the rainbow is burning while millions perish in agony. Don’t say don’t say you’re shedding tears… This game is sinless and terrible fornication fools are in the stars and sober fell into drunkenness in enthusiasm, cry glory; in enthusiasm, prostrate to the ground; in enthusiasm, entwine the zealous whip -- until you recognize the infinite futility of nothing until you see how the leaf descends and you die curled up in a skein. Listen, keep listening to this sad ending and -- Don’t say don’t say that your tears are stinging. By Pyo Tarapi ’24time traverses through them
her thoughts overflow but yet are never spoken into existence the growing child thinks and thinks And dreams. For a new world where the sun flickers A sunset-set fever immortalized Where the wind sings lullabies echoing up to the stars in this faraway land she spends days after days running towards a purple house, where the shadows of a mother and daughter dance playfully forever every footstep she leaves behind in the hot sand, the swampy mud, and the snowy road her thoughts tangle, loop, and twist another she never reaches the door held back by the truth the truth of her heart that she only wants her momma for her momma to see how far she had come for coming so, so far so very close to the purple house that’s almost within her grasp By Cindion Huang ’25 Life is a big bough floating along a long river of time. From the moment you are born, your bough falls from the tree of preexistence into the eternal river. Then, for all your life, the splashing current carries you past mountains of daisies and endless fields of rye; skies of skyscrapers and streets shining bright — only to abruptly arrive upon an abyss of annihilation and a realization that the journey is long over. All of the fallen leaves and landing birds and drops of rain that left a mark on your log are temporary, you soon realize. So is every single vein on the wood and every single ripple in the river. So is the seemingly endless stream you’re in and the innumerable segway of creeks you’ve chosen along the way.
The stream of time unintentionally carries each piece of log to different tributaries: Some lose their wife to cancer, a pain they'll never forget; some passionately kiss a stranger on the same night that they met. Some spent a century looking for faults in the stars; some only took a week to clean up their scars. Some waste their lives on pleasures and wine; some toil in three jobs way past midnight. Some perished before their voices were heard; some live in eternal inertness without a word. By Maya Tavares ’24After the awesome Cross-Country-organized Martlet Mush, I decided to get some further insights from my classmates who also ran the three-mile course. I enjoyed the experience, finding the competitive nature of the activity quite enjoyable. The race started off on the track and then went around campus, ending in the same place where we started with donuts and apples as well as fantastic apple cider! Here are some thoughts from other students:
By Chip Genung ’25One thing about living in the United States is that it feels like there are always elections happening, and just as one round finishes, a new one starts. On Tuesday, Nov. 7, many states held local elections, but there were a few that received national attention. These include the Ohio election to pass an amendment that would make abortion constitutionally protected in the state, and it passed with roughly 56 percent of the vote. There were two major governor races also: one in Kentucky, where Democrat Andy Beshear won with 53 percent of the vote, and another in Mississippi where Republican, Tate Reeves, won with 52 percent of the vote. Interestingly, Reeves beat Democrat Brandon Presley for the position, Presley being a cousin of Elvis Presley.
By Alex Goodman ’25“Too Much Memory” is the newest addition to the Dramat Association's fall play collection. The play is a modern adaptation of the Greek tragedy “Antigone.” In “Antigone,” a grief-stricken girl defies kingdom law to honor her dead brother. The play is sad, dark, and heavy — a deviation from the comedies the Dramat Association has put on in the past two years. I asked why Mr. Rasheed, who is the Director of Theater at Westminster and has an M.F.A from NYU, chose this play, and he said, “The students that I worked with were eager to do a dramatic piece. Some of the Sixth Formers thought it would be great to do a serious play. I think the classics are very important and this is a more accessible version of a classic play.”
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