THE RIVERS EDGE Vol. LI, Number 2
The Rivers School, Weston, MA
December 17, 2020
New COVID policies and plan allow for safe return to campus BY MAX MEYERHARDT ’21 EDITOR IN CHIEF
After a successful fall trimester with only a few days of remote learning, the Rivers COVID-19 plan has surely enabled the entire community to have school in the most ‘normal’ way possible. When considering the near two month long stretch of online learning in the spring of last school year and the hybrid opening to school this year, not many would have predicted the fortunate situation members of the Rivers’ community find themselves in today. With many other public and private schools closing and shifting into hybrid learning as the school year progressed, Rivers’ plan worked wonders and enabled everyone to have a safe and authentic learning experience. The new procedures and customs this year such as spaced out desks, wipes in each classroom, lunch in the field house or gyms, and many other changes that have enabled school to resume in person this year are all due to the efforts of Rivers’ Committee on Reopening, or COR. The COR worked in consultation with a company called Environmental Health and Engineering which also partners with many other independent schools and colleges to best open schools safely during COVID. COR “worked to keep the
three basic principles we promised everyone would be front and center throughout foremost in our minds: a safe learning environment; face-to-face instruction as much as possible; excellent teaching, no matter the mode of delivery,” said Head of School Ned Parsons. Mr. Parsons is proud of the work the COR has done so far and speaks to the qualifications of its members who have made learning in person conceivable this year. “[The committee] did have two physicians on it, as well as trustees with legal backgrounds, educational technology backgrounds, and financial backgrounds, all of which were helpful as we weighed how to open.” Despite being able to successfully complete the fall term, it is important to note that Rivers was, inevitably, struck by the pandemic like most other communities in the world. Although the community lasted over a month without a single case, in a bubble almost too good to be true, Rivers’ first student COVID-19 case was confirmed in early November which brought with it the cancellation of school for three days. “The shutdown in early November was a result of our inability to gather all the information about contacts before we would have been back in school, so we needed more time to know who Continued on page 2
Coffee House Delights- The fall Coffee House took place under the tent in late Oct. Despite the chilly weather, it was a just what the community needed. See story on page 9. Photo by Jess Bargamian ’21.
Four senior girls, new committee rewrite school’s election policy “Throughout my four years at Rivers, I have never once had a female class co-president,” said senior Jess Bargamian. This statement is one that stands true for every member of Rivers’ Class of 2021. Each year, several male and female students ran for class copresident, but two self-identified boys were elected year after year. Although they have always respected their male co-presidents and their roles, this past summer, four seniors–– Jess Bargamian, Emma Pfannenstiehl, Avery Caggiano, and Maddie Wambach–– decided to do something to ad-
dress the voting system that had perpetuated this kind of outcome of Rivers elections. Last spring, after two male school co-presidents were elected to represent the class of 2021 for their senior year, Bargamian, Pfannenstiehl, Caggiano, and Wambach spent hours drafting a letter to Head of School Ned Parsons, 12th Grade Dean Nicholas Jordan, Assistant Head of School Jim Long, and Upper School Dean of Students Will Mills, addressing the issues they saw with the voting system and the widespread sentiment that the female student body was underrepresented in student council. Over the summer, Bargamian, Pfannenstiehl, Caggiano, and
Wambach, along with Mills, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Ava Archibald, Director of the Center for Community and Civic Engagement (CCCE) Amy Enright, and Middle School Dean of Students Sarah Freeman, formed a committee and met several times to develop the new voting policy that went into effect this fall. This policy states that the co-presidency for each grade must consist of two individuals of different gender identities. The new policy is very similar to the previous one that Rivers used until the Transgender Policy was enacted five years ago. According to Mills, the administration made the decision to switch to Continued on page 6
the CCCE, “brings to our community the thought leaders who are shaping opinion right now: men and women whose research, writing or activism have people talking and thinking in new ways about how to strengthen our democracy.” Since the creation of the Hall Family Speaker Series in 2019, Rivers has welcomed two speakers whose work in their respective fields captures the essence of the speaker series’ goals. Inaugural speaker and founder of Citizen University, Eric Liu, spoke to the community last October about the importance of being an active citizen. During
Liu’s visit to Rivers, he addressed the student body at an All-School assembly, and he also spoke at an evening event for 300-plus alumni, parents, and the public. Both events received top-notch reviews. A year after Liu visited Rivers, Dr. Jamil Zaki spoke to the Rivers community (virtually), as the second speaker in the series, and his talk was nothing short of gripping. Zaki himself is a leader in the research on empathy and has received his BA in cognitive neuroscience from Boston University and his Ph.D. in psychology from Columbia University. Speaking from his home in
the Bay Area of California via Zoom, Zaki began his talk by thinking outside the box. Literally. Students were challenged to connect nine gridded dots using only four lines. To the surprise of many, the solution included drawing lines, not within the limits of the gridded dots. Zaki connected the exercise to the discussion of empathy. “We don’t just draw lines between the inside and outside of a box; we also draw lines between people,” he explained. To empathize, he suggested, we also need to reach outside our social box. But what is empathy? “Empathy is the ability to share,
Dr. Jamil Zaki speaks over Zoom. recognize and care about other people’s emotions,” Enright explained. “It is a crucial component in a healthy human Continued on page 10
Addressing the rising mental health issues among teens during the pandemic.
Artist Profile: the many talents of senior Maddie Wambach.
Point guard and co-captain Nicky Johnson ’21 has made an impact on and off the court. Page 13
BY HANNAH LAPIDES ’22 ASSISTANT EDITOR
Hall Speaker Series: Dr. Jamil Zaki on need for empathy BY ABBY SIKORSKI ’22 STAFF WRITER
On Oct. 21, students and faculty gathered across campus in advisory groups to participate in an interactive conversation with Dr. Jamil Zaki, a professor of psychology at Stanford University. Zaki’s speech left the audience more educated and engaged in a topic more relevant than ever: the power of empathy. Organized by The Center for Community and Civic Engagement, Zaki’s speech served as a part of the Hall Family Speaker Series. The series, explained Dr. Amy Enright, the director of
I N S I D E
NEWS
How the new make up of the Supreme Court will impact our future. Page 2
FEATURES
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ARTS
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SPORTS
AROUND CAMPUS
Remembering Travis Roy, who spoke to Rivers just weeks before his death.
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The Rivers Edge
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December 17, 2020
News
Supreme Court’s conservative majority will impact many BY CRISTINA GOMEZ ’23 and ABBY MATSUYASU ’23 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
where the risk is not as extreme. The Supreme Court ruled 5 to 4 to temporarily block Cuomo’s restrictions, using the First Amendment’s right to religious freedom as the primary defense. With Justice Barrett casting the deciding vote, America got its first taste of Trump’s updated right-leaning bench with this court ruling, and more of Barrett’s conservative verdicts are sure
On September 18th, 2020, the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg shook the nation to its core. “Scared and shocked,” “Genuinely pretty sad,” and “A huge loss for the country” were only some of the first reactions of the Rivers community. After the initial wave of devastation and disbelief, Maggie Leeming ’21 expressed that “[her] second reaction was ‘Oh no, what does this mean for our country?’” The ensuing effects of RBG’s death run deeply through the United States, including President Trump’s push to confirm a new justice before the presidential election. In 2016, when President Obama tried to appoint a new Supreme Court Justice eight months before the election, the Republican-led Senate repeatedly blocked his attempts to fill the position. This year, just two months before the upcoming election, after millions of voters had already cast their ballots, President Trump pushed to do the same in half as much time with Judge Amy Coney Barrett. The Supreme Court, the highest judicial seat in the country, was established on the principle of a non-partisan branch of government. Some see Trump’s efforts to confirm a new justice so close to the election as a political ploy, which shifted the court to a 6-3 ratio with an overwhelmingly conservative majority. “It’s hypocritical, it’s not
ethical, and it risks the reputation of the Supreme Court,” said Leeming. Furthermore, with the nation on the cornerstone of enormous social change, many high school students are concerned about what the court’s conservative shift means for their future. With Trump’s pro-life nominee, Barrett, not only will future court cases be affected, but monumental past cases are at risk of being overturned. Amanda Roan ‘22 hopes that Barrett will “uphold the rights of the constitution and that she is humane with her decisions.” Roe v. Wade gives women the right to have an abortion legally, and Obergefell v. Hodges, which allows LGBTQIA+ members to get married, are in critical danger
of being reversed. For male and female students alike, this possibility is troublesome. “Even though it doesn’t affect me personally, having someone in your life that wouldn’t be able to get an abortion or marry someone they love is really sad,” said Jack Dossantos ’23. Amy Coney Barrett played her first major decisive role in the court case New York v. Cuomo, taking a stand against the New York governor’s proposed restrictions in regard to religious practices during the pandemic. The governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, proposed the restriction that only 10 people may attend religious services in “red zones,” where the COVID-19 risk is highest, and 25 people may attend in “orange zones,”
to come. In response to Trump’s success in creating a more conservative bench, Democrats are proposing to “pack the court.” This potential policy would mean raising the number of justices seated on the Supreme Court in order to depoliticize and balance the majority parties on the court. Already, Republicans are reacting bitterly towards the idea of expansion, creating greater partisan friction and, as Leeming puts it, “deepening the chasm between the political parties in our country.” Students believe that the political spectrum is getting more extreme on both sides, and it is not seen as a positive thing to exacerbate the divide. Students
Continued from page 1 those close contacts were before we opened back up,” Mr. Parsons said. Between the first case and the final day of classes before Thanksgiving break, the Rivers community has logged 6 total cases the nearly 680 community members. Luckily, all cases were contracted by individuals outside of school and zero people contracted the virus on campus, further solidifying the safety of the measures put in place students and faculty alike have been observing on campus all year. All confirmed cases have also since recovered and are all in good health. The contact tracing at Rivers has since improved and each new case after the first has not resulted in any canceled school days or shifted schedules. Mr. Parsons noted, “We’ve gotten better at assessing that and have been able to move more quickly on the tracing as of late, which is why we haven’t had to close down at all in the last couple of cases we’ve had.” The current procedures for contact tracing begin if a student has been on campus within 48 hours of their positive test. If this is the case, Rivers’ COVID re-
sponse team gathers with school nurse, Claudia Silva, who asks the confirmed case member of the community to make a list of all people they felt they had been within 6ft for 15 minutes over that 48 hours window of time. This list is then verified by the COVID response team and any changes are made if they feel certain individuals were left out based on class seating charts, sports teams, music lessons, advisories, or anywhere else that member of the community may have been with others who could have possibly been exposed. Although unlikely, students who are contact traced during school are notified immediately, sent to an isolation room in the new nurse’s office in Lower Haynes, and wait to be picked up to go home as soon as possible. School nurse, Ms. Silva notes that this has not happened often and applauds parents for making sure their kids stay home when sick: “I have to thank all the parents and guardians who have been so diligent about keeping ill students home,” she said. “If it wasn’t for them making the right decision to keep students home when they are not feeling well, I would be seeing a lot more sick students.”
Still, faculty and fellow students alike urge members of the community to be safe and responsible on and off campus as the mere slipup of an individual and their irresponsibility could result in the closure of campus for the entire community as has happened in many neighboring schools in the ISL and many public schools too. Despite the many hurdles and rule changes to adjust to the ever-changing circumstances, the community has remained strong throughout the past three months and has generally adhered to all guidelines to ensure that school can continue safely in person. Ms. Silva, acknowledges the difficulties and visible changes this year. “The paperwork and workload of course has more than tripled due to the pandemic and the new vaccination requirements this year (FLU vaccine, Menactra for 11th grade), but I am very lucky to work with amazing people who are always willing to help,” Silva said. Returning from Thanksgiving and Winter breaks, in collaboration with health officials and the town of Weston, Rivers has created two plans that will allow students to learn safely.
This new plan adjusts to the many fears and safety concerns winter presents. Due to the cold weather and student’s inclination to go inside and cluster with their friends during the long 30-minute passing times, the new plan reduces these times to 15 minutes which has many benefits. Aside from ensuring that students socially distance during their breaks and reducing standstill time that could be better used, the new schedule begins at 8:30 rather than 8:00 and ends at 2:30 rather than at 3:00. This decision was consciously made and has many benefits as it will enable students to sleep in more which, as stated in a recent email, having “school later gives kids more time to sleep and has a significant positive impact on their attention span, their retention, and their stress levels.” The return plan also called for students and faculty to get tested for free on campus on Dec. 4 after Thanksgiving break and on January 7 after winter break. In the school-wide test on December 4, only 1 member of the entire community tested positive which further highlights how responsible the community has recently been. The first week after each break will also be remote to ensure no
With the addition of Justice Amy Coney Barrett, seen here at her confirmation hearings, the Supreme Court now has a strong 6-3 conservative make-up. AP File photo.
are left to enter a polarized world separated by party lines, which are stronger and more permanent in the Supreme Court than in any other political branch in our democracy. A major distinction of power between the president and the Supreme Court justices is their term lengths. A presidential term is four years, whereas a Supreme Court justice can serve on the bench until death or retirement. While the short-term decisions of the presidential race received more attention, the Supreme Court will have a greater and more lasting impact on high schoolers and future generations. High school students today are part of a generation that has had to grow up more politically engaged than any others before. Even if it is simply reading a news article once a week, young people have the responsibility to educate themselves on this topic which will play a large role in their lives. The Supreme Court is a symbol of the changing state of our nation, and at this turning point, high schoolers must play an active role in creating a better society and help the country move beyond hyper partisanship. “Trump can do what he’s doing, but should he?” Leeming said. “Democrats can pack the court, but should they? People are doing what’s right for their party, not for the people of the United States, and I don’t think that’s what the government should do.”
New policies, school-wide testing allows in-person classes
one steps back on the community after traveling or interacting with others before testing negative. After the first week upon the return of each break, with a negative COVID test, students and faculty alike will be able to return to campus once again and learn in person. Mr. Parsons expresses his happiness and pride in how responsible Rivers has been for the most part for the entirety of this school year so far. “Overall, I feel very positive about our ability to manage this situation,” he said. “It seems that we have been relatively untouched, which is a testament to the community’s sticking to the requests we’ve made to limit outside contact, travel, and riskier behavior.” As the Rivers community moves from Thanksgiving break to Winter break and beyond, it is imperative that the community does not succumb to careless actions and loosen up on following the rules set in place to ensure everyone’s safety. “We won’t be out of this for some time, so we all need to step up our vigilance– not relax it,” Parsons said. “This is the time to really double down on our efforts so that we can maintain inperson learning all winter long.”
The Rivers Edge
December 17, 2020
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Nation
Healthcare system threatened just as people need it most BY CRISTINA GOMEZ ’23 and ABBY MATSUYASU ’23 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
The numbers are staggering: 14.8 million infected; 285,000 dead; 12.7 million people unemployed. One country in disorder due to the coronavirus pandemic. Someone’s dad, someone’s sister, someone’s grandparent. Within the United States, thousands of families have an empty seat at the table. Healthcare has always been one of the most controversial and important issues in this country. Additionally, the pandemic has only increased the worry that Americans have about the status of their health and wellbeing. The changes in the healthcare system under the Trump administration have been drastic, leaving citizens around the country left wondering if they and their loved ones will have ensured safety from the virus. When the pandemic first hit and a nationwide lockdown occured, unemployment rates surged, resulting in the loss of healthcare benefits for millions. Many Americans were left to deal with the impending threat of the virus without a safety net, suffering under the loss of both income and health insurance. Furthermore, these repercussions disproportionately affected women and people of color because of the failure of the system to adequately provide insurance for minorities. This lack of coverage led to less access to protection, which created and continues to create more vulnerability to illnesses.
COVID-19 feeds on this fragility, leading to the disparities among minorities highlighted with the ruthless effects of the pandemic. The United States failed to control the pandemic at an early stage due to the deficiency of testing opportunities and negligence to comply with coronavirus guidelines. These shortcomings have caused America to be hit harder than any other county in the world by the virus, and it has caused the devastating blows to keep coming in many different forms. Over the past four years, the Trump administration has only minimally changed the existing health care system. Trump has repeatedly promised a complete legislative overhaul to the system and has been working to remove the Affordable Care Act, or “Obamacare”. The president has delivered several executive orders, but little legislation has been passed. The American Health Care Act (AHCA) marginally passed only the House of Representatives on May 4, 2017. The most significant aspect of this legislation is its hypothetical repeal of some parts of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The AHCA would have rescinded many of Obamacare’s tax increases, subsidies, and its expansion of Medicaid. Arguably, the most devastating change would have been the elimination of Obamacare’s individual mandate. The mandate requires that people who do not receive healthcare from their employer or any other source are entitled to have access to coverage through the ACA. As a result, the
Hospitals and ERs are overflowing because of the coronavirus pandemic, stretching the healthcare system dangerously thin. Jeff Rhode/Holy Name Medical Center photo. number of uninsured people was concerning healthcare. The Biden- very hopeful that in his first days decreasing under the previous Harris administration aims to not in office, President-Elect Biden federal administration. However, only protect the ACA, but also to will re-engage America with the under Trump’s leadership, 2.3 further build on that policy and international family planning and million more Americans became make the system easier to navigate. reproductive health community uninsured, proving the inequity The Biden-Harris plan focuses on and will mark a return to a White and incompetence in Trump’s providing access to affordable House that supports access to theoretical healthcare plan. and quality health insurance by abortion care for all those in need.” Although the Trump supplying a public option similar Lastly, the president-elect has administration failed to enact to Medicare, decreasing the an emphasis on healthcare as a these regressive measures, his overall cost of healthcare and right for all, regardless of gender goal to repeal Obamacare could increasing the value of tax credits identity or sexual orientation, and still be achieved through the court to extend coverage to uninsured not a privilege. case California v. Texas, which and low-income Americans. The standing of nationwide is currently pending before the Additionally, Biden is pushing to healthcare has been everchanging Supreme Court. Overall, with reduce the power that prescription and constantly debated throughout the combination of the effects drug corporations hold and often the political spectrum. As the of the pandemic and the lack abuse. current times have certainly of leadership during the past Contraceptive and abortion complicated the issue, America presidential term, healthcare has access would also be protected is looking to move forward and become more expensive and more through Biden’s plan, which unite as a nation. Although the difficult to gain access to. includes the codification of Roe pandemic has only worsened the Looking forward, President- v. Wade. Jesse Mermell, a former lives of many people, Americans elect Joe Biden has different plans executive at Planned Parenthood have reason to be hopeful for the than the previous administration and lifetime activist, stated: “I am future of healthcare.
and guidelines put in place for the summer were designed to help the public stay safe. Unfortunately, kings have never been known to listen to their advisors, and the public’s response to the coronavirus, named for its crown-like spikes on the surface of the virus, is no exception. Now, is there a second wave of COVID-19 cases sweeping the nation? The easy answer is that it depends. In Massachusetts, we are in the midst of the second wave. For other states, there never was a first one. A second wave is considered to occur after a virus, that was increasing, decreases then increases again. Across the U.S., the confirmed COVID-19 cases hit a peak in July, a low in the later summer and early fall, and most recently, a jump in cases breaking all previous records. Thus, it would be fair to say that the country as a whole is in the midst of a second wave. We have now crossed the threshold of more than 200,000 new cases of COVID-19 in one day according to the World Health Organization. The U.S., known as the great melting pot, is
once again one of diversity with its COVID cases by state. There are three main categories that states fall into when it comes to their trend in cases which are comparable to a cereal bowl, a love for the summer, and a hockey stick. A “cereal bowl trend” occurs when there is a spike in cases early in March and April, a decline during the summer, and a recent sharp increase in November. These states tend to be ones with large populations and cities that got hit hard early. The governments then put restrictions in place over the summer with the impact shown by the decline of cases during the warmest months. Finally, as people start to come inside once again and attempt to return back to their old lives, cases are on the rise faster than ever before. Massachusetts, New York, Michigan, and Pennsylvania are all examples of the rise in spring, fall in summer, and an increase once again in the fall. Similar to the first category, the second trend with the state’s easygoing protocols in a lively
US now in the grips of a deadly COVID-19 second wave BY DANA LOWITT ’23 STAFF WRITER
On Jan. 20th, 2020, the first case of COVID-19 was detected in the United States and then reported to the CDC, and “normal” life was changed forever. Yet, the public had little awareness of the severity in this behavioral shift. Like a small trickle of water before the flood gates open to destroy a city, the first cases of COVID-19 appeared. But, no superhero came to block the hole or repair the dam. The gates opened in March, and the first wave of COVID-19 hit the U.S. with cases significantly increasing every day. But there was still light at the end of the tunnel as many scientists believed that COVID-19 cases would decrease over the summer. Scientists believed that Sars-Cov-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, shared similarities with viral strands that are usually found in seasonal viruses. The warmer weather was supposed to repress the number of cases, similar to the flu or other common colds. In addition, the restrictions
summer demonstrates a rise of cases in July, a small decrease in late August through October, and a spike in November. After the first peak, governors put in restrictions that, combined with good weather that prompted people to spend time outside, led to a decrease in cases. Cases are currently rising as the cold weather hits because people are discarding adherence to successful guidelines and spending more time indoors. Churches have also stayed open during the pandemic, so large gatherings of people in close proximity are not helping to decrease the spread of the virus. These states include Texas, Tennessee, California, and many others. Not all states have defined peaks. These states, which follow a trend similar to a hockey stick, have seen case counts that were low since late spring, until this October hit. Usually, rural and underpopulated states with this graph simply did not have cases until the end of the summer. Without large gatherings or big cities to act as super spreaders, the virus has only been able
to slowly infect people. There were few restrictions in place, but with such small case numbers, it made sense to be relatively lax about rules. But once the virus got going, there was no stopping it. Similar to the other two trends, late October and November have marked a surge in cases giving the graph its hockey stick shape. The middle of the country generally holds this shape. But Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Indiana, Colorado, and South Dakota show the trend most clearly. Whether you look at cases on the national level or compare them state by state, the facts remain the same: COVID cases are rising swiftly this fall. Even if it feels like the virus is miles away, we have entered into a deadly second wave. To help control the spread, students and families should adhere to the guidelines specified by the CDC, state government, school rules, and/or household policies. The U.S. is not meant to look like a cereal bowl.
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The Rivers Edge
December 17, 2020
EDITORIAL
We’re in this together, so please follow the rules Hello, I am a student in your community heavily concerned with the way that many are ignoring the rules set in place both to protect us and to ensure we can continue learning in person all year. From my experience alone, I have seen numerous people each day not wiping down their seats, sharing food, and pulling down masks indoors, among other violations. I hate to be a stickler for the rules, but when it is the difference between being able to have an enjoyable year of high school that feels somewhat normal as opposed to the catastrophically horrible experience of Zoom learning we all know and dislike, I would say it is better to be outspoken rather than silenced. Maybe hearing this from a student rather than a teacher will have a greater impact, but I am also aware many of you do not read the newspaper. For those of you who are students reading this right now, first of all, thank you. And secondly, please do not be afraid to “be that person” who tells your friends to pull their mask up indoors or who wipes down someone else’s seat who forgets to do so. Since we do not live in an ideal world, it is unrealistic to believe that everyone will perfectly adhere to all the protocols concerning COVID-19 and be alert at all times to follow each and every safety measure. But with the help of a select group of people looking out for themselves and others, we should be set to remain safe and fight this virus, all while being fortunate enough to go to school each day. So if you read absolutely nothing and skipped to this last line, please, Rivers students, be better, be smarter, and do not ruin the efforts of an entire community to create the opportunities we have today. Our actions speak volumes about our character; and a character of high morality and kindness positively impacts the safety of an entire community, not just themselves. To reiterate some of the main rules this year for the community to follow, school nurse, Ms. Silva urges all to: - PLEASE WEAR YOUR MASK PROPERLY, COVERING THE NOSE AND MOUTH. - DO NOT REMOVE YOUR MASK (except to eat or during a mask break in the appropriate areas). - DON’T TOUCH THE FRONT OF YOUR MASK. - PLEASE KEEP AT LEAST 6 FT DISTANCE FROM OTHERS. - WASH YOUR HANDS FREQUENTLY DURING THE SCHOOL DAY. - AVOID CARPOOLING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. As the sign says: Rivers is “Better Together.” So let’s all do our part. On behalf of all of us at Edge Nation, have safe, healthy and happy Holiday Season!
This Day in History
EVENTS Dec. 17, 1538 - King Henry VIII excommunicated. Dec. 17, 1900 - Ellis Island Station completed. Dec. 17, 1903 - The Wright brothers make first sustained motorized aircraft flight. Dec. 17,1989 - “The Simpsons” first episode airs. BIRTHDAYS Pope Francis (1936) Sarah Paulson (1974) CORRECTION: In the October 2020 issue of The Edge, the the Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) was incorrectly identified as the GayStraight Alliance, a former club at Rivers.
Opinions & Editorials
Biden wins, GOP clings to power BY CHARLIE FOLEY ’22 STAFF WRITER
On Dec. 14, the members of the Electoral College met to officially confirm that Joe Biden will be the 46th President of The United States, having defeated President Donald Trump by an electoral vote count of 306-232. In the Senate elections, Democrats only received a net gain of one seat. In a surprise to many political pundits, Republicans gained a net total of nine seats in the House of Representatives. Firstly, it is very important to note how inaccurate polling was this election as they were unable to improve on the inaccuracies of 2016. One point of great controversy in this election were the mail-in ballots to allow voters to safely vote who were concerned about COVID and in-person voting along with the highly controver- sial procured ballots –– ballots filled out by people missing signa- tures and identification who would show up to polling stations on an- other day to complete their ballot. Many recent Trump lawsuits have targeted these alternative methods to vote in an effort to disqualify these likely Biden votes after election day has passed, including the efforts by the President to cast extreme doubt on the election process, stating mail-in votes are fraudulent. These claims are unproven and no convincing evidence has been put forward
by Trump or his team of lawyers, which means these claims will not change anything. The latest of these included the Texas Attorney General’s efforts - joined by 18 other Republican state AGs and 126 GOP congressmen - to throw out the electoral votes of four key battleground states which Biden won, to essentially overturn the election. This case, TEXAS V. PENNSYLVANIA, was denied by the Supreme Court last week stating that “Texas has not demonstrated a judicially cognizable interest in the manner in which another State conducts its elections.” While Trump lost, the key reason Democrats did not win the presidency nor seats in Congress by the overwhelming margin many pollsters projected was due to their lack in swaying the Latinx vote. People misconstrue this demographic and believe it to be a generic voting block. This is far from the truth, as evident with the Cuban- American population in Miami-Dade county, which gave the GOP a 20-point swing from 2016, and de-seating Donna Shalala (D), and sending Maria Elvia Salazar (R) as Florida’s 27th district representative. Biden ran on the challenge to Donald Trump’s presidency and lacked a lot of messaging that candidates like President Obama and President Clinton had. This hurt Democrats down ballot heavily, leading to Republicans gaining seats in many House races nationwide. President-elect Biden can im-
plement many key reforms including the reinstatement and solidification of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (of immigrants)), cancellation of student debt, and crack down on big pharma with the repeal of patents even with a divided legislative branch. Republicans, however, are well positioned with the 2022 midterms shaping up to be a potential Red Wave year, with the Senate map being the same as 2016 with many Democratic seats up for re-election. If Republicans can successfully distance themselves from Trump with his possible run in 2024, they can potentially retake both sides of congress. However, if Republicans continue to unite around a defeated Trump for the next four year, they will essentially hand the Democrats another four years in the executive branch. This allows Biden’s administration to expend more political capital and change laws and policies without media attention. Despite Trump’s ongoing legal efforts to overturn the election, Joe Biden was elected 46th president of the United States and will be sworn in on Jan. 20. His job won’t be easy. Biden will have to lead the country through the worst months of the coronavirus pandemic, a divided legislative branch of government, a deeply divided nation, and millions of struggling and unemployed Americans. Will he find a way to unite the country in a time of great need? Only time will tell.
The Rivers Edge
Co-Editors Associate Editors
Assistant Editors
Faculty Advisor Copy Editing
Meredith Shah’21 Max Meyerhardt ’21 Will Conway ’21 Kendall Diamond ’21 Ellie McCarron ’21 Sam Lyons ’22 Amanda Gary ’22 Hannah Lapides ’22 Alex Stephens Lucy Kapples
Staff Writers: Sebastian Connelly ’22, Sophie DuBard ’22 Charlie Foley’22, Natalie Kloman ’23, Dana Lowitt ’23, Michael Pasko ’22, Abigail Sikorski ’22
Contributing Writers: Brooke Brennan ’23, Talia Davis ’21, Charlotte Diamond ’23, Jason Glick ’24, Christina Go-
mez ’23, Maddie Guiliano ’22, Skylar Holmes ’23, Teagan Jannis ’24 Lexie Siegel ’23, Abby Matsuasu ’23, Paige McCarthy ’23, Cailyn Murphy ’23, Ava Palazzolo ’23, Mia Patel ’23, Cailyn Murphy ’23, Sylvie Pingeon ’21, Brendan Poirer ’23, Megan Sweatt ’24, Elena Zuvekas ’22
Photography: Ross Gormley, Meredith Shah, Alex Stephens. THE RIVERS EDGE is published by the students of The Rivers School. THE EDGE is an open forum for the news, events, ideas, issues and concerns of the student body. Letters and contributions from the entire Rivers community - students, faculty, staff, parents, and alumni - are welcomed and encouraged. Unsigned letters will not be published, but names will be withheld upon request. Please send letters to The Editors, THE RIVERS EDGE, The Rivers School, 333 Winter Street, Weston, MA 02493.
December 17, 2020
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The Rivers Edge
Opinion
BIPOC should be properly represented in today’s media BY TALIA DAVIS ’21 CONTRIBUTING WRITER
I am about to rip off the metaphorical mask of post-racial consumerism that lies over our movies, television and literature. I am not asking for guilt or pity. Rather, my thoughts are meant to prompt thought and growth, though I might ruin the media for some people with one word: representation. Adequate representation entails that those in our community, our popular culture or our media share our key identifiers. Are our television shows portraying LGBTQIA+ relationships? Do our movies have racially diverse casts? Do our leaders, principals, governors, and presidents reflect our multicultural and gender-fluid society? The short answer is no, we do not yet have accurate representation in our community or our media. Our popular culture reveres movies, such as The Help, as pinnacles of Black culture and advancement. The Help was indeed a wonderfully made movie groundbreaking in its own accord, but it reeks of white saviorism and unacknowledged tokenism. Greta Gerwig, a filmmaker known for making approachable, aesthetically-pleasing, and mumblecore films with some of Hollywood’s most upand-coming stars, famously underrepresents BIPOC people in her movies. Her recent film
Little Women garnered incredible feedback from the public. Our society hailed the film as an arbiter of progress with its female direction and mostly female cast yet completely disregarded that every single actor was white. The novels we read in our English courses often seem like representation. However, East of Eden, Snow Falling on Cedars, and To Kill A Mockingbird are riddled with model minority tropes, white saviorism, and stories of BIPOC experiences through a very white lens. These movies and novels are not necessarily “bad.” On the contrary, when viewed through the right lens, these movies and novels are incredible learning tools. Asking ourselves who is missing from a narrative and if the text includes microaggressions, spokespersonship, or model minority tropes among explicit prejudice challenges our understanding of discrimination and privilege in an incredibly productive manner. But these movies and novels are definitely not representative of our country or our community. Really, they are unfair to BIPOC individuals - and their right to individuality and self-agency - and reflect a nation bearing the effects of a homogenous popular culture that is rooted in white comfort. I acknowledge that we do have movies and television shows in which BIPOC people play a central role. However, beyond Coco, Black Panther
and Crazy Rich Asians, all of which are beautiful examples of representation, BIPOC movies are stories of struggle and sacrifice, not of joy, comingof-age, or blithe comedy. These movies are undoubtedly a form of representation in our media, but the problem with having movies, for example, Just Mercy or The Last Samurai, as the
issue lately in response to the recent mass spread of awareness brought to the Black Lives Matter movement following George Floyd’s death. Some of the arguments for defunding the police include the irrelevance of police training, the low success rate of solved violent crime, and the need for funding in other parts of the community. Mark Heydlauff, a Michigan city manager, says the majority of their general funding is given to the police department. As needs and circumstances have changed, however, police funding has decreased over time. Still, with all the money that as been spent, the high-tech training that officers receive is not necessarily relevant to their everyday encounters. According to the Brookings Institution, a Washington, D.C. research group, statistically, nine out of ten police encounters are nonviolent and simple encounters with civilians. Although ideally these
encounters should be peaceful, systemically unfair treatment says otherwise. When police are only trained for the most violent and worst possible outcomes, their judgment with less extreme
How can we even critique our media if we assume that Asian students do not need extra help in the classroom, that every Black student must be an athlete on financial aid, that every Latinx person is Mexican and undocumented, that the minimal racial diversity which exists within our classrooms is good enough? only means of representation for BIPOC people is the idea that the BIPOC experience must not be a joyous one. White culture often enjoys these movies, which largely recount BIPOC trauma, as mistaken representation. On a community level, it is difficult to understand how our media is unfair and unrepresentative. How can we even begin to unpack the tropes within movies and television if we
cannot accept how we perpetuate the same racism in our daily lives? The quiet, smart, and power hungry Asian. The academically incapable, token Black athlete. The resentful Muslim kid on the cusp of radicalization. The “unnecessarily” angry student of color. Or rather, the utter absence of BIPOC faces - a continued chasm of whiteness that we continue and accept within our culture. While these tropes are veiled through years and years of post-racial sentiment, they marginalize BIPOC people from existing unbounded from societal blockades. How can we even critique our media if we assume that Asian students do not need extra help in the classroom, that every Black student must be an athlete on financial aid, that every Latinx person is Mexican and undocumented, that the minimal racial diversity which exists within our classrooms is good enough? We do not expect BIPOC students to emote or exist the same way as white students. We practically expect BIPOC individuals’ lives to be carved solely by their race. We are not entirely to blame for this, though. I partially blame Eurocentricity, especially Eurocentric beauty standards, generations of racism, and direct model minority tropes for these issues. Our society was built for white people to view themselves as upwardly mobile, pure, and most beautiful. But, we are not
helpless. We can expect more from ourselves and our media. What I am looking for is unadulterated, unfiltered representation with media portrayals of BIPOC people as emoting, loving, and grieving as white people do. I am waiting until we cease to proclaim white media as “normal” media. Creating a “period piece” does not constitute an excuse for a lack of representation. BIPOC individuals existed in our history long before Lin Manuel Miranda inserted them into our acknowledged historical consciousness. Even period pieces that recount BIPOC history include more than just one race. What I am looking for is another November 7th, 2020. I am not referring to when Joe Biden became President-elect Biden, but I recall the moment when young girls of color saw themselves within the soon-to-be most powerful woman in our country. In that moment, women of color were not angry women in need of control. They were not naive girls who dreamt of lives larger than the ones the universe would ever grant them. They were not women exotisized or fetishized. They were women who finally achieved representation. We, BIPOC individuals, are humans beyond the color of our skin. We ache and love, and we wish to see our media and culture authentically portray our aching and loving.
“approximately 38% of murders, 66% of rape, 70% of robberies, and 47% of aggravated assaults go uncleared every year.” Again, this further proves the lack of help that excessive funds are able to provide. Despite more money pouring into the hands of state police, their training and systemic foundations prevent the funds from being effective. There have also been studies showing that with an increase in funding of the police, crime rates have not dropped. Relatively, it can be assumed that dropping funding won’t affect these high rates either, considering all of the research proving the lack of utility that the police actually provide. So, what does this all mean? From a distance, this issue can be seen as having two polar sides: “completely defund the police” and “continue to fully fund the police.” In reality, neither of these sides are truly possible or beneficial in the long run. Another key conclusion is that there is much more than simply
money that goes into an ideal outcome. Attaining better education for police trainees is arguably the most important factor, as officers should be better trained in how they act and treat others. Specifically, it is how they treat others regardless of socioeconomic status, appearance, and most importantly, race. Learning about and training against racism in encounters with citizens and humanely treating everyone could prove to be more helpful than any amount of funding. Often, it is not a question of how much money, but instead how it is allocated. The fundamental point here is education. To form an opinion on the subject of police funding/defunding, research on both sides of the argument must be taken into account. From what was statistically proven, education is also a factor that could greatly benefit the police system and override this ongoing debate. If education is proven to create fairness and contentment within and around police everywhere, then the subject of funding can become unnecessary and irrelevant. If not, there is always more to try, do, and learn to create satisfaction between the police and the citizens they are meant to protect.
Knowing the facts about “Defund the Police” movement BY LEXIE SIEGEL ’23 AND CAILYN MURPHY ’23 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
In the tumultuous time we are living through, many issues and controversies have taken a larger rise. We must take the first step of educating ourselves in order to fully comprehend our modern world. “Defund the police!” “Give the police more money!” These two opposing ideas appear frequently in our lives. Whether one has a general understanding of the topic or not, now is an important time to further educate. Essentially, defunding the police is when a community takes money that funds their local police department and uses that money to address other concerns or resources that need more attention. In defunding, money is often moved toward education, healthcare, housing, and other things that benefit the community in other ways. A common misconception is that all funding for the police department will be stripped when action is taken. However, only portions are redirected and reallocated to other causes. Defunding the police has become a very controversial
cases can be subconsciously impaired. This statement proves that while police departments receive a plethora of funding for training, it is evident that every dollar may not be used to its full possible extent. Additionally, according to an article written by Brookings Insitution writer Rashawn Ray,
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The Rivers Edge
December 17, 2020
News
Election ’20: Biden wins; House, Senate majorities narrow BY MEREDITH SHAH ’21 EDITOR IN CHIEF
In true 2020 fashion, the presidential election was far from ordinary. The novel coronavirus, nationwide protests, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death and more all contributed to a contentious race for the White House between Joseph R. Biden Jr. and incumbent Donald J. Trump. Furthermore, the quantity of mailin ballots increased dramatically in this election as a result of widespread protective measures against the coronavirus, and procedural differences necessary to accommodate for these mail-in ballots caused election results to be unknown for four tense days after Election Day on November 3rd. When voting in person, ballots go directly into a machine and are usually counted immediately. With mail-in ballots, someone must open and flatten each ballot, and they must verify that the signature on the ballot matches the one on file before each vote gets counted. These seemingly small steps can take time, which is part of the reason why critical swing states such as Nevada and Pennsylvania did not report results until days after November 3rd. The wait was exhausting for
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris celebrate their nomination to the Democratic ticket at the Democratic National Convention in Wilmington, Delaware. President-Elect Biden will be sworn into office in January 20, 2021. Source: Olivier Doulery, Getty Images many. “It was constant stress, I couldn’t sleep,” said senior Emma Pfannenstiehl. “I couldn’t think about anything else. I was constantly refreshing the election map and flipping through different news channels.” Finally, on November 7th, Biden surpassed 270 votes in the Electoral College when Pennsylvania announced that its 20 votes would go to him,
and, after the remaining states confirmed their results days later, Biden ended up winning a total of 306 electoral votes—leaving Trump with a respectable 232. President-elect Biden’s platform consists of decently pointed policy promises on a variety of issues. His priorities include COVID-19 recovery, addressing climate change, and tax reform, to name a few, and he has detailed plans for each issue.
Considering how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted Americans and the world, Biden’s top priority will be to curb the spread of COVID-19 and to get a vaccine produced and widely distributed. His lengthy plan for recovery includes (but is not limited to) doubling the number of COVID-19 testing locations, using the Defense Production Act to increase production of personal protective
in these elections by their male peers. “We almost always see power positions given to men: president, a CEO, every high-up faculty member at Rivers, and more,” Caggiano explained. “So it’s not surprising to me that boys vote for boys and also girls vote for boys.” In student elections last year, specifically the election for school co-presidents, girls who ran for election ran in representation of the female student body as a whole, and when voting, girls had to consider not only who they believed to be the best candidate but also the importance of a girl being elected. “I ran for class copresident for both 11th and 12th grade,” Bargamian reflected. “Both years, I ran with not the mindset that I wanted to win, but with the mindset that I wanted one of us females to win.” When the results of the school co-president election came out last spring, two male students Mason Tuff and Aidan Keusch - were elected once again. However, in both running for office and not seeing the outcome they were hoping for, Bargamian, Pfannenstiehl, Caggiano, and Wambach had felt the influence that sexism had had on Rivers, and they knew that something had to be done to make the female students’ voices heard. “It was the first time in my life where I felt like I had lost something because of my gender,” Bargamian said. “And because of that I knew that the election
policy had to be changed.” Similarly, in reaction to the results of the election, Caggiano added, “After the results were posted, I wasn’t mad that I lost. Though I was furious that male domination was something Rivers really continuously allowed to happen.” This fall, the results of copresident elections in ninth, tenth, and eleventh grades were certainly affected by the new voting policy. “I remember walking through the campus center and seeing the copresidents listed and I couldn’t help but smile to see three girls’ names listed,” Caggiano said. As opposed to only two female members of student council last year, freshman Joylyn Kim, sophomore Maya Holzman, and junior Kara Johnson now serve as the three girls in student government this year. It may not seem like a significant change, but Bargamian, Pfannenstiehl, Caggiano, and Wambach believe it is huge in displaying the symbolic change that their new system will be making in the Rivers community. The results have made many other girls at Rivers take notice. Senior Meredith Shah, who had previously been involved in the effort to change the voting system at Rivers, is very pleased. “I think that it is the first step on a long road to having equal representation and enthusiastic inclusion in the student council of students of not only all different gender identities, but
also different racial identities and sexual orientations.” The committee that met over the summer took racial identity as well as sexual orientation into consideration when it came to the power that student government had over the Rivers community as a whole. They came to the conclusion that the leaders of BRIDGE and GSA should attend student council meetings as well to ensure that as many perspectives as possible are present in making decisions pertaining to the entire student body. “I think that re-evaluating the student council as a whole was a huge step for Rivers in becoming a more inclusive environment,” Pfannenstiehl said. Overall, the impact that the new voting policy has had on the Rivers community so far has been well received. However, as with any policy, there are some negative effects. Some juniors have said that they believed that two girls would have been elected co-presidents this year, something that has never happened before in Rivers history, if it hadn’t been for the policy change. In response, Bargamian explained, “Our hope for having two class representatives of different gender identities is for each co-president to bring a unique perspective to the table, which will allow for a broader representation of their class and the student body.” Added Pfannenstiehl, “We want everyone at Rivers to feel like they have the ability to be
equipment (PPE), investing $25 billion in vaccine manufacturing and distribution, and creating a nationwide mask mandate. Biden also recently conversed with the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, who was widely praised for her handling of the coronavirus, and Ardern, emphasizing the importance of international cooperation, offered to share her “knowledge and data” with Biden as a resource to influence his response as POTUS. Aside from the coronavirus, Biden has another aggressive plan to address a different worldwide crisis: climate change. He has proposed a $2 trillion federal spending package that intends to serve his ultimate goal of net-zero carbon emissions in the United States by 2050. The plan, though expensive upfront, would create millions of jobs in the U.S. energy industry, and it shows Biden’s strong belief in the climate crisis. Biden also plans to reenter the U.N. Paris Agreement, a climate accord signed by nearly 200 countries that Trump pulled the U.S. out of in 2017. This comes as welcome news to many young people. “I’m feeling optimistic about president-elect Biden’s plan as he has promised one of the most Continued on page 7
New policy for student government elections adopted
Continued from page 1 a gender-neutral voting system when the Transgender Policy was created in order to make elections inclusive to students “on all places of the gender identity spectrum.” Therefore, Mills would not classify this system as “inequitable” because it seemed like the most equitable policy. “Despite that, the results over time showed ongoing gender biases present within the community, which I hope our ongoing DEI work can continue to mitigate,” Mills said. The difference between the old voting system before the genderneutral one was put into place and the new policy created over the summer is in the wording. Instead of requiring “one boy and one girl” to win the election, the most recent new policy states that two students of different gender identities must win. For many girls in the Rivers community, the desire to make changes to the voting policy stemmed from the enforcement they felt from the school administration of the patriarchal society we live in. “In my mind, it was essential that the school...showed to those who don’t identify as male that they could still hold positions of power and spark change in our world,” remarked Bargamian. It has always been majorly disappointing when several girls have stepped up to run for student council positions at Rivers, and yet they are usually defeated
represented on student council.” One other negative side effect that Mills pointed to is the issue of making candidates state their gender identity. “There is no question that the policy change... may make it more intimidating for some transgender students or gender-fluid students who aren’t out to the community to nominate themselves for our elections (relative to the gender-neutral system of the past five years),” Mills explained. Nevertheless, in the minds of the four senior leaders of the new Rivers voting policy, it is a major first step in making Rivers a more inclusive place for students of all gender identities. “Our committee truly made a difference not just in the voting policy,” Pfannenstiehl asserted, “but also in the power that the student government holds and who in our community should be a part of this representative group.” As long as small changes continue to be seen, like the third girl in student council this year, Bargamian, Pfannenstiehl, Caggiano, and Wambach believe that progress will continue to be made. In reflection of the work that she and her peers did this summer to implement the new voting policy, Caggiano hopes their endeavors will have a ripple effect. “I believe this new policy will allow mindsets to shift,” Caggiano said, “starting right here at our school.”
December 17, 2020
The Rivers Edge
Page 7
News
Alums discuss service during Veterans Day program BY SEBASTIAN CONNELLY ’22 STAFF WRITER
Despite the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, Rivers held true to its tradition of honoring veterans at the annual Veterans Day assembly. For more than 40 years, this assembly has enabled the entire community to come together and honor those who serve and protect. With restrictions on large gatherings, however, this year’s assembly was bound to look different. Students and teachers assembled in their advisory groups and tuned into the Zoom webinar from different areas on campus. Perhaps a silver lining of holding the event virtually was that a record number of parents and friends of Rivers were able to stream the assembly live from home. Although students were not able to pack the bleachers of Benson Gymnasium this year, the assembly’s purpose remained the same: to bring us together and honor those who serve. Mr. Parsons opened the assembly highlighting the importance of the day to the Rivers Community: “Too often as Americans, we can take the freedoms we have for granted, and too often Veterans’ Day is treated as just another day off … But at Rivers, we make the conscious choice to use this day as it was intended: a day to remind ourselves that the freedoms we enjoy did not accrue to us by accident.” Following his introductory statements, Parsons interviewed Congressional Medal of Honor recipient and former Navy Captain Thomas Kelley. Kelley spoke about his life’s story and how he came to receive this ultimate civilian honor. He shared that he had always enjoyed sailing and spending his time around the water. One day his uncle took him aboard the
U.S.S. Missouri Battleship and he remembered “seeing all of these sailors walking around with the hats on the back of their head, and looking really sharp and cool, and I wanted to be one of them.” Experiences like these only made it seem fitting that Kelley wanted to become a part of the Navy, applying to the U.S. Naval Academy after high school. Due to his poor vision and the Navy’s strict requirements, he was unable to be admitted. Although his dreams of serving in the Navy could not come to fruition, Kelley persevered. He began his search for alternatives until he stumbled upon a naval program with less rigid vision requirements. Many notable experiences stuck out to Kelley over his 30 years in the Navy, but one rose above them all. In 1969, serving as commander of River Assault Division 152, one of Kelley’s eight ships suffered a mechanical error with its loading ramp, as it attempted to load U.S. Army infantry troops. It was at this point that Lieutenant Kelley’s ship came under heavy fire from opposing Viet Cong forces. Realizing the danger that his troops were in, he courageously steered his boat in front of the injured ship, forming a protective barrier between the ship and the enemy fire, with himself and his ship in the middle. It was under this fire where an RPG exploded very close to his head, shooting shrapnel in all directions. Despite the dramatic head wounds he suffered, Kelley still ordered his men and ships via radio, and ultimately led them to safety. It was this courageous set of actions that caused Kelley to be awarded the U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor. The U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor, or simply Medal of Honor is a military service award given by the president in the name of Con-
gress. The Medal of Honor is the United States’ highest and most esteemed military award, given to a military service member who has “distinguished himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.” After a decorated 30 years of service in the Navy, Captain Kelley retired. He and his wife Joan wrote The Siren’s Call and Second Chances, a book depicting both his and his wife’s adversity that they persevered through. The book highlights themes of heroism, courage, perseverance, and love. All of the proceeds from the book, including the three hundred thousand dollars raised at the book’s release party, go to the Ahern Family Charitable Foundation, which supports veterans and their families. In addition to his gifts to this charity, Kelley has done work to “help [veterans] overcome those challenges with healthcare, education, employment, and housing.” Kelley then noted other ways to make a change for the better, “You don’t have to be a soldier, police officer, or firefighter to serve others, there are so many ways you can be kind to people. For example, volunteering in your church, your school, or your neighborhood,” he said. Following the interview, the assembly transitioned to a “roundtable” discussion with three Rivers alumni—former Marine Captain David Donahue ’03, Army Reserve Captain Callie Bullion ’10, and Navy Lieutenant Max Maquire ’07. Throughout the 20-minute discussion, the three of them applied their various experiences in the armed services to answer questions Donahue posed starting with why they decided to serve. Maquire answered first, stating that it was a combination of the aftermath of 9/11 and the large number of friends that de-
made up of both members of his campaign staff and new hires. Finally, Biden selected California Senator Kamala Harris to be his running mate, and when they won, Harris became the first woman, the first Black woman, and the first person of Asian descent in American history to be elected to the office of Vice President. On the night that the presidential election results came in, Harris delivered a memorable and moving speech, saying, “While I may be the first woman in this office, I won’t be the last. Because every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities.” In California, Harris worked as district attorney in Oakland, as attorney general, and she has served as state senator since her election in 2016. Along with her impressive array of “firsts” related to the vice presidency, she was also the first
Indian American to be elected a United States Senator. Both Biden and Harris immediately sprang into action in the days following the release of the election results to prepare for the transition of power in January. More than one month after the election, Trump still has yet to concede to Biden, as is customary for the sitting president, so a traditional handoff of the White House seems unlikely at the moment. Aside from the presidential election, there were also Congressional elections this year. For the next two years, House Democrats will hold onto their majority, but barely. In 2016, when Trump came into office, he enjoyed Republican control of the House, but in the midterm elections in 2018, the Democrats gained 40 seats by flipping key districts all across the country. Now, in 2020, Dems
Congressional Medal of Honor recipient and former Navy Captain Thomas Kelley spoke to the Rivers community over zoom. Photo: Stroum. cided to serve that ultimately influenced his decision to join the Navy. Bullion followed, reporting that it was her father, Colonel Jim Bullion, that influenced her decision to join. Next was Donahue, who explained how sports were a major part of his life growing up and how he aspired to continue his leadership he showed on Rivers’ sports teams in a more meaningful setting which to him, was the marines. Though all three of them had their motives to join, one commonality was shared: a sense of duty to serve and protect the United States. The second question they answered was what Veterans Day means to them, having served themselves. This time, Bullion started, describing how the day’s meaning for her has evolved over the years from a day to honor just those serving around her to a day to honor everyone she has served with. She made the important distinction that the day is not about her, but for the countless people she has served beside. Although as a student he appreciated that Rivers made the effort to have
an annual assembly, Maquire remembered not knowing what to make of them. However, later in life after seeing his peers in the Navy, the idea of what a veteran looks like became tangible and he began to appreciate the sacrifices they make. However, it wasn’t until 2011 when his brother was wounded in combat in Afghanistan that Veterans Day became more about honoring him and those wounded. Finally, Donahue highlighted deployed veterans’ tremendous sacrifice of being away from their families and how they put everything on the line to protect the freedoms of the US. Although this year’s Veterans Day assembly looked much different than past years, it was nothing short of a success. The speakers’ insight and bravery inspired the whole community and perhaps even future veterans. Because we could not all be together, Mr. Parsons’ hope for this year’s Veterans Day assembly that certainly played out for us all was that we could take away many things including one simple lesson: “We are better together.”
narrowly kept their majority, but only flipped three seats. On the other side of the aisle, the G.O.P. flipped 13 seats, giving them a net gain of 10 seats and pushing the Republican party closer to a potential majority in 2022. This year in the Senate, the six-year Republican majority may endure for another term. Democrats were able to flip Senators in Arizona (Mark Kelly against incumbent Republican Martha McSally) and Colorado (John Hickenlooper against incumbent Republican Cory Gardner), but Republicans narrowly kept their majority by retaining most of the red states and flipping Alabama (where Tommy Tuberville beat incumbent Democrat Doug Jones). Now, Republicans will hold 50 seats, and Democrats have secured 48, but two hang in the balance. These two seats both be-
long to Georgia, a state that will be holding two majority-deciding Senate elections in January 2021. Election laws in Georgia indicate that the winner must receive more than 50% of the votes in the state to get voted in, and no one emerged as a clear winner in the first election, so there will be runoff elections to see who gets the two seats. These two seats are favored to be won by Republicans, which would secure the G.O.P. majority, but hypothetically, if both seats were taken by Democrats, then the Senate would be split 50/50, and the Vice President, Harris, would act as the tie-breaker. She would very likely vote with the Democrats, which would give them a resounding majority and would bode well for Biden’s ambitious plans for the next four years.
Power in Senate still up for grabs as Election 2020 goes on Continued from page 6
progressive attacks to combat climate change,” said senior AP Environmental Science student Ellie McCarron. “His claim to make America net-zero in carbon emissions by 2050 is beyond exciting, and it’s a relief to see a national leader acknowledge the threat that is climate change.” Though not reflected in specific policy stances, another of the president-elect’s obvious priorities is female representation and inclusion in government. First, he named Jen O’Malley Dillon as his campaign manager. O’Malley Dillon became the first woman to manage a successful Democratic presidential campaign, and she will become Biden’s deputy chief of staff in the White House in January. Furthermore, after his election, Biden announced an entirely female communications staff,
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The Rivers Edge
December 17, 2020
Features
Easing teen mental health issues during the pandemic BY NATALIE KLOMAN ’23 AND AVA PALAZZOLO ’23 STAFF WRITERS
Stay six feet apart. Wash your hands. Wear a mask. For nine months now, we’ve all been following guidelines and taking extreme precautions so that we can stay safe. Physically safe, that is. And yes, keeping ourselves and others from getting the virus is the main priority. But between all of the hand sanitizing and COVID testing, we overlook the mental health component caused by the pandemic. Spending time in isolation, living in a Zoom world, and having to deal with the overall stress of keeping ourselves and loved ones safe are only some of the overwhelming components that have affected people everywhere. COVID has caused things like depression and suicide rates to drastically increase. So how is Rivers, a community of motivated and driven teens, dealing with the added task of helping students through this strenuous time? There have been so many reasons why the topic of mental health has been resurfacing during the pandemic, with the factor of isolation at the top. Everyone has spent the majority of this crisis trapped with their families, and time spent with others in school or at practice has limited social time. Face it: there’s no way for a teen to safely hang out with their friends as if everything were normal. And yes, we can communicate via technology, but we can’t establish the same form of connection that we did before COVID. Normal socialization is desperately needed to keep oneself in a steady state of mind. On top of separation, there’s the topic of attempting to go about our lives normally during the pandemic. Teaching and learning are most relevant to Rivers, and it hasn’t been an easy task. Teachers have
Mental health issues for teens are on the rise during the pandemic. Shutterstock/Stanislaw Mikulski] to figure out lessons that can be 40.9% of U.S. inhabitants reporttaught both in-person and on ed having a “mental or behavioral Zoom, plan an entire year’s course health condition”due to the effect in a substantially less amount of of COVID and the toll it has taken time than the last year, and deal on their lives. In the survey, 13.3% with keeping everyone safe on was related to increased substance campus. While teachers are mi- use, 11% was related to suicidal raculously juggling their load, thoughts, 26% was related to instudents are expected to do more creased stress levels, and lastly, work in less time due to the cut of 31% of people had reported their having every class on Monday and depression and anxiety levels on follow the protocols put in place in the rise. the midst of surviving a pandemic. It is no longer a matter of whatAnd when we have to go to online if, but COVID has affected our classes, it’s difficult to pay atten- mental health in an unprecedented tion to the lesson since living and way. Roughly 27% of adults have breathing Zoom all day can be reported symptoms of depression exhausting. Honestly, these un- amid the pandemic, more than trisustainable loads are affecting the pling the percentage from before health of the community. Finally, of 8.5%. We are dealing with a way constantly having to be worried of life that we have never been exabout our health and the health of posed to, and we have been given those around us is emotionally and little to no time to completely adphysically draining. just. Within a month our interacThe effects of COVID on Riv- tions with others were cut off, and ers are only on a small scale com- we were told that in-person school pared to the rest of the nation. We may not be a possibility. Stuck in all have felt the often negative isolation has taken a toll on evrepercussions of this pandemic, ery inhabitant of the U.S., so it is which can change one’s mental important to take care of yourself health for the worse. Whether it’s and check in on those around you less interaction, work-load stress, whenever possible. or anxiety surrounding the health The Rivers community has felt of ourselves and our loved ones, the impacts of COVID on the menmental health has been an area that tal health of students and adjusting is hurting for many. In a Center to the new world. With all the new for Disease Control (CDC) sur- changes relating to online school vey conducted over the summer, and social distancing, students
have had to react quickly without many instructions on how to do so. In a poll of 115 students in the Upper School, 87.8% of students said their stress and anxiety levels were affected by COVID-19. When asked to rank their mental health on a scale of one to five with five being the best, 82.6% of students said their mental health was a three or below, while only 17.4% said their mental health was a four or five. “For me, the biggest struggle with online learning was not having a structured schedule for the day,” said Hannah Lapides ’22. “It is much harder for me to motivate [myself] to get work done in between classes because I’m not in a school environment. I feel much more productive at school, so the possibility of a lot more online learning is disappointing.” This pandemic has taken a toll, but together as a community we are persevering. In the poll, 93% of students said they are more happy being on campus for in-person learning than at home for online school. And 85.2% of students said their mental health has been a three to five being on campus, conveying that students positively responded to the opportunity Rivers has been given to open fully in-person. “Being around people in person and being able to learn in the classroom makes everything so much less stressful,” stated Tyler Cornetta ‘23. Seeing friends through a computer screen cannot match the energy and enthusiasm of the Rivers community on campus. However, together as a community we are taking it one day at a time and being grateful for the opportunity we have been given to further our education, even if it is remote. It’s evident that mental health has been playing an important part in this mess that we’re living in, but how are we going to deal
with it? Nobody exactly wants to deal with mental health; it’s tricky, messy, different for everybody, and not something that can be fixed with a band-aid. But it’s here to stay, and instead of just stating the obvious, we need to focus on destigmatizing mental health issues and finding ways to alleviate causes here on campus. Students themselves are finding ways to help one another. Active Minds, a club on campus dedicated to student mental health, is a safe place for students to relax, talk, and decompress. “Last year we held a student-faculty discussion about mental health, and we hope to have another this year to discuss mental health with COVID,” said co-leader of Active Minds Natalia Ramos ’22. There are also simple things both students and faculty can do off and on campus to just focus on ourselves. During lunch, put work and phones away and just talk and eat with your friends. At home, have a movie marathon and bake a holiday treat. Sometimes, one of the simplest things to do is just having an honest conversation with a friend or adult about everything going on. COVID has given us the chance to slow down our fast-paced lifestyle and direct more energy to the things we enjoy. Whether you have taken up a new hobby, excelled in an old one, or began to connect with those around you more, everyone has had more time to focus on the important things in life. “Although COVID has so many obvious negative aspects, I have gained more time to spend with my family and reflect on myself and what really matters in life,” said Abby Matsuyasu, a current sophomore. “Also, with everything being virtual, it has been much easier to get involved with different projects, campaigns, or community service opportunities.”
for both sides. Following Zaki’s brief introductory presentation, students were instructed to explore in groups a few discussion questions tackling topics like how perspective can be different yet genuine and how empathy plays a role in disagreements. The focus was then brought back to the webinar where Zaki took questions from Ms. Enright. “What can we do?” Enright asked. To that, Zaki suggested his “kindness challenges” as a way to build your empathy. Challenges like “Reverse the Golden Rule”, “Spend Kindly”, and “Disagree Better” aim to push people toward empathy, and self-compassion, as well. He also stressed that empathizing is not effortless but grows easier with time and practice. Zaki himself has done a tremendous amount of work
toward creating a kinder, more empathetic world. His “Becoming Kinder” seminar at Stanford inspires students, and his 2019 book, The War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World, teaches others how to empathize better. “Make empathy loud,” he urged. “Make it contagious.” In the last few minutes of the discussion, the floor was opened up for students to ask questions. In all, Zaki’s address to Rivers was informative, engaging, and relevant. “From feedback we got from parents and advisors, Rivers students came away from Zaki’s talk with a better understanding of why it is so important not to dehumanize people who disagree with you,” Enright said. “And some concrete examples of how to be more empathic.”
Dr. Zaki’s talk on empathy strikes a cord with students Continued from page 1
community.” With the definition of empathy established, Zaki moved on to highlight how empathy brings us together by breaking down the “us and them” mentality. Empathy now is more momentous than ever. According to Zaki, the average American in 2009 was less empathic than 75% of Americans just 30 years earlier, and that needs to change. In a real-world scenario, Zaki explained a study that his research lab conducted in the Bay Area. Individuals in the study participated in a virtual simulation depicting the experience of becoming homeless: “This was a short simulation; only about 10 minutes, but it had a longlasting impact,” Zaki said. “Even a month later people who went through this VR simulation were
less likely to dehumanize homeless individuals and more likely to support affordable housing policy in the bay area.” Then Zaki posed the timely “so what?” question. “How could this possibly apply to a situation as toxic, as painful, as divided, as our current political climate?” The answer? Difficult conversations driven by empathy are more productive. “The Center for Community and Civic engagement invited Dr. Zaki to speak two weeks before the [presidential] election because he is uniquely qualified to teach us the skills we need to build or rebuild a community during these very divided times,” Enright said. Zaki pointed out that making a human connection and sharing personal stories allows for a productive, empathetic conversation to occur. He drove home the idea
that empathizing is not necessarily agreeing with someone on the opposite end of an argument, but rather simply seeing humanity on the other side. Many students saw the truth in Zaki’s words. “Sometimes it’s really hard to understand other people’s political opinions, especially when you’re passionate about a topic,” said Sophie DuBard ’22. “But Dr. Jamil Zaki’s speech was a great reminder to the whole community that no matter the outcome of the election, we have to unite as a community through empathy.” Outside the political realm, Zaki also discussed how empathy has been key to navigating the waters of his own parents’ divorce; acknowledging the genuine, yet different perspective of his parents allowed for Zaki as a child to conjure understanding
December 17, 2020
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The Rivers Edge
Features
School welcomes educational interns in pilot program BY TEAGAN JANNIS ’24 AND MEGAN SWEATT ’24 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
What does it mean to be an intern at Rivers? We interviewed Rivers graduate and current intern Jacob Werrick for his answers, as well as the advice he would give to students in the Rivers community interested in pursuing a career in education. Aside from Werrick, there are three other people participating in internships this year: Ana Reich, Thomas Benjes, and Chantel Jordan. Werrick graduated in 2016, and he and Benjes attended Rivers for two years together, so the two of them knew each other going into their internships. Werrick also said that he had formed a friendship with Jordan last year through helping to coach the basketball team together. To get a better understanding of what internships entail and what it is like to be an intern at Rivers, we asked Werrick for further details on his experience and his daily life in this job. The tasks you can find him doing during the day may vary, but it is likely that he will cover for teachers teaching remotely along with a few other internspecific jobs. Werrick is also in charge of running the Rivers
Athletic Department social media accounts, and he helps coach the boys’ varsity basketball team as the assistant coach. During the fall trimester, he was able to participate in several classes and served in various roles. Aside from filling in for absent teachers, he also sat in on English Department Chair Mac Caplan’s Sport and Society English elective, saying it was something he really enjoyed. In addition to attending classes, Werrick proctors teacher Venise Adjibodou’s eleventh grade English class and advisory while she teaches remotely this school year. He said that his favorite part of the day while being in person “is getting to interact with all of the students of all ages and getting to talk with them about everything.” Werrick enjoys talking to students about their day-to-day lives and their plans for the future. While connecting with students and faculty, he is able to impact students in multiple aspects during the day, which all adds up to more experience he will be able to take out of this internship. Aside from connecting with the Rivers community, an internship at Rivers presents an opportunity for both personal and career growth. For Werrick,
One of the responsibilities of new intern Jacob Werrick’16 is helping proctor classes for teachers who are teaching remoted. Photo by Shah. his goals for this internship are to get an idea of whether he can see himself working in education in the future. As far as personal goals go, he mentioned that his aim is to further develop both his communication and coaching skills during his time here, which will benefit him in any career path he may choose. With lots of time and experience in a multitude of fields, Werrick shared with us some advice for any students that might be interested in a similar internship in the future. He recommends seeking out as many different experiences as possible
while you are trying to figure out your career choice. This advice spawns from his time working at a wealth management firm, in real-estate, from running youth basketball tournaments, working at the Masters golf tournament, and even working WWE and NASCAR events when he was in college. No stranger to hard work and experimentation, Werrick advises students, whether they are interested in a similar internship or not, to “try as many different things as you can, because you never know what you might end up enjoying or being surprisingly
Coffee House had the largest crowd, at least during my time at Rivers,” said T Sallie ’21, who, along with Calvin Smith ’21, Kevin Kamanitz ’21, Schuyler Bartlett ’21, and Owen Nagode ’21, is one of the leaders. “I think there was more seating room during this last Coffee House than any of the other ones in the Black Box, and even so all of the seats were filled. I was especially touched by the huge turnout considering that it took place on a cold, dark, and rainy evening.” Sallie and Kamanitz similarly preferred the outdoor Coffee House in terms of space as it gave the Coffee House more of a “concert feel” and additional audience seating, but both distinguished that the Black Box provided a shield from the cold weather alongside a “cozy size” and nondamaging environment for the instruments. While the school-sponsored carnival and dinner took place on campus before the Coffee House, the Coffee House leaders were hard at work with their preparation. The outdoors started to pose the first of many difficulties of the night, and the leaders ran around to complete lots of tasks in a small time frame. “Well, first we had to move all the instruments and amps into the shed because the irrigation system was coming on,” Kamanitz remarked. “Then we moved the equipment back out and had to think about setting up
the soundboard and the decorations. We made several trips to and from Rivers to various houses to get supplies, and we eventually were able to get all the amps and decorations set up.” After all of the instruments were tuned and the crowd had settled into their socially distanced seats, the Coffee House began with an introduction by Smith: “While a lot of things have changed, some things never change. We have a lot of amazing performers tonight.” His statement could not have been more accurate as the Rock Band kicked off the lively 2-hour event with “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder. Following the Rock Band, Caroline Deneen ’22, on ukulele, and Anna Miller ’22, singing, performed “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz. Next, “G.O.A.T.” by Polyphia was presented by Kamanitz, but the cold temperature impeded on his performance as he was forced to play down tempo. “Personally, I physically could not move my fingers as fast as I needed to in order to play the song I tried to play,” he said later. Then, all singing, Summer Pierson ’22, Cole Pierson ’23, and their father, science teacher Mr. Pierson, performed “Me & Julio Down By the Schoolyard” by Paul Simon, also playing the guitar, drum, and maracas. For the 5th performance, Anna Rosenfeld ’23 sang “Granted” by Josh Groban while also playing the piano. Afterwards, Elliot Do
’21, singing, and Smith, on piano, performed “Easily” by Bruno Major. On guitar and singing, Sallie performed their own powerfully composed song focusing on an important part of their identity. And to finish up the first part of the Coffee House before intermission, Smith and Nagode performed “The Most Beautiful Girl In the Room” by Flight of the Conchords. After the intermission, the show continued with science teacher Mr. Reynoso, also known as Rey Rey, reciting his own piece, “Decision Of the Swan”, dedicated to his psychology class. Reynoso’s offer is still on the table as he continues to search for someone to compete with him in a rap battle for the winter Coffee House. Next, Alex Massarotti ’23 virtually sang “Enjoy the Trip” from Bring It On, the musical. Then, Nicole Baldwin ’23 sang “Remedy” by Adele. With the darkness of the evening, the lights in the back of the tent were turned off in order to construct a mellow, comfortable atmosphere for the audience and brighter focus on stage. As the 12th song, Tim Tourigny ’21 and Kamanitz engaged in a dramatic performance of “Pressure Point” by the Ghost Inside. Kamanitz observed, “I am definitely biased, but I think that Timmy’s performance was iconic, and a great example of how the
good at.” He encourages students to look at each new and different experience as a lesson. He considers each new environment, everywhere from real estate to WWE, as an opportunity for growth that can lead to a more confident and cultured self. Graduates like Werrick wanting to come back to their old school speaks volumes of what the Rivers experience is like for students. We can rant endlessly about homework and tests, but at the end of the day, everyone knows that Rivers is a place of encouragement and support, and now it is also a place that is here to help people explore careers in education. Rivers’ welcoming of the interns in this strange year may encourage future alumni to return as interns and maybe even as faculty members one day. We hope that in our upcoming years at Rivers, we will continue to see more of today’s upperclassmen return like Werrick and remain a connected part of our ever growing community. Whether our interns are sitting in on a class, running things from the sideline, or helping out over Zoom, Rivers is grateful to call them an integral part of our community, and we hope this program continues for years to come.
Fall Coffee House delights despite the chilly conditions BY AMANDA GARY ’23 ASSISTANT EDITOR
Even in a night filled with wiping down microphones, not feeling frozen fingers, tuning mid-song, and socially distancing on stage and in the audience, the October Coffee House had a vivacious energy and optimistic atmosphere that connected the school amid an isolating pandemic. The Coffee House at Rivers has been a tradition for the community to unite and support each other as students and teachers perform, no matter their musical background or skill level. Usually, the Coffee House takes place in the Black Box, and last spring, it was virtual. The 2020 fall Coffee House took place in person and was live streamed, but the new COVID-19 guidelines relocated it to an outdoor tent in the middle of the campus, presenting unprecedented challenges. Amid the frigid and damp weather on Oct. 28, the fall Coffee House had a total of 16 performances with a multitude of courageous artists and a wide variety of music. From the smooth and easygoing to upbeat and lively songs, all of the performers tackled their nerves and the weather with a smile in the spotlight, and the crowd offered unwavering support. The Coffee House had arguably one of its greatest crowds yet, in spirit and in size. “I do think that the most recent
Coffee House allows students to perform whatever they want, no matter how…different.” Bartlett, initially commenting “That’s a very hard act to follow,” and Cole Zaleski ‘21 performed “City” by Sarah Bareilles with Bartlett singing and Zaleski accompanying on the piano. After Bartlett and Zaleski, Sadie Carroll ’23, with voice, and Dana Lowitt ’23, on piano, performed “If By Chance” by Ruth B. As the second to last performance, Maggie Leeming ’21, Rinny Leeming ’23, and history teacher Mr. Leeming presented “Ever Since New York” by Harry Styles. And to finish off the exciting night, all of the Coffee House leaders closed with two songs by Bruno Mars, “Just the Way You Are” and “Treasure”. In a night filled with incredible performances, the audience applauded and cheered on all of the students and teachers for their talent and fearlessness to brave the cold, damp fall weather. “My favorite part of the Coffee House is the accepting and welcoming community that allows anyone to perform something meaningful to them without fear of judgement based on skill level,” said Sallie, encapsulating the spirit of the Coffee House skillfully. “It’s one of the Rivers events that fosters community in a way that I don’t think any other event does, since anyone is able to perform something.”
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The Rivers Edge
December 17, 2020
Arts
Maddie Wambach ’21: student, swimmer, singer, pianist BY BROOKE BRENNAN ’23 CONTRIBUTING WRITER
J
ust call her a Renaissance woman. Madeline “Maddie” Wambach is smart, well-rounded, and both an accomplished musician and a highly successful athlete. One could say she does it all. She first got into the arts at age four, when she imitated her older brother and began to play the piano. He started taking lessons at the Rivers School Conservatory when he improved at the instrument, and Maddie, the younger Wambach sibling, soon followed. In her time studying the piano, she worked on classical pieces and became a classically trained pianist. Furthering her interest in music, she also joined the chorus at her previous school, the Charles River School, before coming to Rivers as a student. Despite working towards becoming a classically trained musician, Wambach’s main focus has always been swimming. However, in her freshman year, Wambach got severely injured, so she was not able to compete as she had done for the majority of her life. Apart from swimming, even playing the piano posed difficulties, due to the necessary (and injury-unfriendly) movement. To accomodate for her injury but continue to have an artistic outlet, Wambach recalled her elementary chorus days and dedicated more time towards singing and the Rivers Women’s Chorus. Becoming a vocalist was something relatively new to her because she had spent a long time learning how to play the piano and focusing on swimming. “I went from being always the best in the pool to losing it com-
After studying piano for most of her life, Maddie Wambach, seen above with her RSC teacher Paul Huberdeau, moved into singing and the winter musicals, all we also being a top-ranked swimmer. pletely to starting from scratch sophomore year, Wambach took In her junior year, she took with a bunch of people who have more risks by auditioning (and up leadership roles, becombeen [singing] all their lives,” being awarded) solos, as well as ing one of the leaders of the A says Wambach. singing her own song on BroadCapella Club. She was inspired As her musical abilities way night. In her junior year, by the past leaders of Chorus to developed, Wambach decided to singing became one of her main be welcoming and help to create participate in the Rivers Musipassions, and Wambach began to a warm environment, including cal as well, and she enjoyed it sing more complex and operatic Natalie Hall ’19, who inspired so much that she is still a cast pieces. Wambach by being incredibly member today. She saw it as a As one of the classically encouraging, sweet, and happy, chance for her to experience mu- trained artists, Wambach played not to mention a talented singer. sic in a fun, more open way than to her strengths by learning Singing allowed Wambach to she was used to. She also chose multiple difficult songs called be expressive in a way that was to take singing lessons as well as arias, but she faced challenges as different from swimming, though join the school’s highly esteemed a newer soprano in the singing both ultimately benefited her in Conservatory program. Her vocal world. She worked hard to prove their own ways. ability soon expanded with the she was able to accomplish the Still, confidence was one of help of Junko Wantanabe, her vo- feat of having a brand new vocal the things Wambach grappled cal instructor, leading up to her range, but the feeling of accomwith in her career as a musician. singing her first aria titled, Nina. plishment that she felt after com- “My confidence as a musician is In an unfortunate turn of pleting her arias was invigorating something I really struggle with, events, Wambach did not make for her. With such a welcoming especially at Rivers when there’s the cut for the A Capella Club in atmosphere, Wambach felt comso many talented people,” she her freshman year, but all was re- fortable to be a leader, so others, says. Coming into her identity solved when she made it sophowho were new to chorus, felt as as a musician, she no longer was more year and now is a leader of welcome as she did. solely judged by her peers and the club. She worked hard and “There’s something so fun mentors on her performance in acknowledges that it is all right about singing with a group of the pool: her songs joined the if you mess up: that is what can girls,” Wambach says. “It makes mix too. But with the support push you to do better. Come her it so special.” of her teachers, Wambach was
able to gain confidence on her own. When she sings, she now chooses to dive into the character singing to feel how they do and be someone new. Although Wambach is certainly a successful musician and has had a stellar musical career, she was accepted to Trinity College and plans to swim there next year. Athleticism is one of her main focuses, but she hopes to continue her passion for the arts in college. Her childhood dream to swim in college and be a part of a team was something she has always wanted and became more of a priority this fall term as she was getting back into the water after four years. Her struggle now is finding time between her 20-25 weekly hours of swimming to practice her musical skills too. “I know that I want to be successful in as many things as I can be, so that’s kind of my motivation to get my work done ahead of time,” Wambach says of her time-management skills. Wambach adds that her relationships with teachers helped to shape the person she is today. Their willingness “to help [her] try and succeed at everything [she’s] doing” makes them one of her favorite parts of Rivers. As Wambach is both a successful athlete and musician, she advises others not to focus on what could go wrong, but instead on what would make them happy. She says that, though being talented in both fields is stressful at times, it is all right to have breakdowns and not always be okay. “Don’t think of the negatives too much,” she says. “Be proud of what you can do.” Finally, Wambach shares words of wisdom for those who are multitalented: “Naps are your friend. Do what you love, have fun doing it, and don’t take yourself too seriously.”
Suzuki’s “Mapping” kicks off Revers’ artist exhibitions BY SOPHIE DUBARD ’22 STAFF WRITER
Naoe Suzuki’s “Mapping” was a strong start to Rivers’ new Visiting Artist Program, which allows professional visual artists the opportunity to display artwork on the Rivers Campus. Naoe’s work was featured throughout the Rivers Campus from October 19th through December 4th. Artists are selected based on their ability to engage with the Rivers community beyond the exhibition of their work. “I selected Naoe for the inaugural show because her work connects science and art - which is a perfect fit for the Revers Center of Arts & Sciences,” said art teacher Nicole Winters, the coordinator of the program. “Additionally, her work explores ideas of maps and mapping, which is a theme we explore in my drawing classes.” Naoe presented to Ms. Win-
ters’ Beginning Drawing class about her series “Water is taught by Thirst”, which was inspired by Emily Dickinson’s poem by the same name. In this series, she mapped rivers in Boston and in the Adirondack mountains because she has a personal connection to both places. Naoe considers humans’ relationship with the environment and the necessity of water to human life in many of her pieces. The presentation impressed many in the class. “I had never really thought about a deeper meaning behind maps, but after hearing her feedback in class, I was able to tell a story with my final project,” said Casey Walters ’23, a student in the class. Naoe presented her work to the Rivers Upper School on Oct. 30th, explaining the meaning behind her exhibition, “Mapping.” Naoe explained that she was born in Tokyo, Japan, and shared a heartwarming story of
her first encounter with the value of maps. At 3 years old, she was playing with other children at a park near her home and used her memory to find her way to another nearby park and return home safely, all without the help of her parents. Her parents could hardly believe that such a small child was able to navigate her way around, but she proved that she had done so by sketching a map of her path. She quickly realized that maps are a valuable storytelling tool. In addition to the backstory behind the entire exhibit, she also was able to give specific insight into her piece “Field Notes II,” which is one of her most prominent pieces at a staggering 15 by 20 feet. Naoe explained that the piece is based off of her time spent as an Artist-In-Residence at the Broad Biomedical Research Institute of MIT and Harvard, where she took a special interest in the writings and scribbles of the scien-
Rivers students take in the exhibit of visiting artist Naoe Suzuki’s work in the Revers Center last fall. Rivers file photo. tists. She traced, scanned, and Naoe explained. overlapped the writings digitally This rigor inspired her to to create what she believes to create her piece during the panrepresent the many ideas that demic. Accompanying the piece make up science. “Science is in the Bell Gallery is a video rigorous. Scientific knowledge piece that combines the images as we come to know is the result and conversations of scientists of countless days, months, and at the Broad in a “day in the life years of experiments done by of a scientist,” which shows both Continued on page 11 scientists working in the lab,”
The Rivers Edge
December 17, 2020
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Arts
Winter Musical will “Bring Back the Broadway Lights” BY DANA LOWITT ’23 STAFF WRITER
We all remember the fantastic musical Legally Blonde last year, and the hardworking cast and crew that made it happen. It was truly a sight to behold, and sparked conversation for weeks afterwards. Well, this year’s production aspires to reach that same level. “Bring Back the Broadway Lights” is a culmination of hardwork and determination with a nod to shows that had been running on Broadway when the pandemic hit last spring. The cast consists of about 32 students, represents grades 9-12, and includes a handful who have never done the Rivers musical before. Zoë Iacovelli is the director and choreographer, Eve Budnick is the music director, and Julia Auster-Hogan is the producer. With COVID-19 regulations, putting together a musical is harder than ever, but the cast and crew are not letting that stop them. The numbers were selected from musicals that were on Broadway before the pandemic hit and shut down all performances. When asked about the inspiration for a revue-styled musical, Iacovelli responded, “All these shows had to abruptly shut down. Putting all these actors, technicians and artists out of work. So we're hoping that by producing the show and putting these songs out there, we can inspire someone to listen to this music for maybe the first time. Once it's safe to be back in the streets of Broadway and in New York, maybe they'll rush to get tickets to continue supporting musical theater and Broadway. So this is our small way of just continuing to get people excited and hope that when this is over we can get back to supporting Broadway and the arts.” Historically, a musical revue is a mixture of songs, dances, and scenes from different shows. The songs usually center around a cohesive theme that brings them together despite being from a wide range of different topics and time periods. As director Iacovelli says, “A theme, a passion, is something that inspires me.” The revue started in the early 1900’s but grew increasingly popular during 1916-1932. Now, revues are most often done by schools hoping to capture some of Broadway’s finest songs. This year, the revue was chosen in order to pay homage to those who had lost their jobs due to the coronavirus. It’s amazing to see what can come out of a bunch of songs that might not seem like they would naturally come together. “We’re kind of like piercing it all together,” explains Natalie Kloman, a sophmore. Most of the songs come from musicals that entered the Broad-
Adrienne Correia ’22 (center) and other cast members of the Winter Musical Revue practice a full cast dance number for a song from the Broadway musical Aladdin. Photo by M. Shah. way scene this year; but there are some musicals from older musicals in there as well. During the two acts, every scene is a different song from a show, and there are numbers from shows such as Hamilton and Little Shop of Horrors. There are some solos, duets, trios, a quartet, and some songs that include the entire cast, and the numbers range from upbeat, to ballads, to dance and comedy. “It’s really fun to do things from different musicals,” says Kloman, a returning cast member. “It doesn’t feel like
“It doesn’t feel like we’re doing a musical during a world-wide crisis. It’s a blast to see everyone working together to create something totally new and different.” -Natalie Kloman ’23 we’re doing a musical during a world-wide crisis. It’s a blast to see everyone working together to create something totally new and different.” As many dance rehearsals as possible will be in person as well as acting coaching, but the crew stopped short of having actors sing in the snow. The biggest change is definitely the lack of group singing that can be done in person. The crew has gotten around this particular issue by using audio tracks and other means, but “it’s definitely a challenge, hopefully one that we are up to,” adds Budnick. Despite these physical barriers, the community surrounding the Rivers’ musical is an incredibly strong one; it seems that this bond will not be one of
the things that needs to change this year. Both the cast and crew have raved about the measures being taken to create this friendly atmosphere. “The musical is always a fun experience where I am able to see a different side of music and creativity and it’s always a blast because everyone always has fun doing it,” says sophomore Brooke Brennan, who was in Legally Blonde last year. From games to bonding activities, the cast is uniting despite being spread out. “It might take a little bit longer, but we will get to the level of comfort we usually have,” Budnick says. “Being in different places doesn’t really affect us,” adds sophomore musical veteran Anna Rosenfeld. The musical community is just as strong as ever, and they are braving this new challenge with great optimism. One thing that has come up frequently was that this musical gives more people the chance to sing. Every person has a solo, lines, and is in a dance. “There's no main character or plot to follow but the revue format gives us the flexibility to do songs we wouldn't normally get to do and to spotlight as many people as we want, given that we got to choose the songs,” says AusterHogan.
But why all the changes? The simple answer is that COVID-19 safety and restrictions have completely transformed the way the musical has to be done. All singing must be done virtually over Zoom, and choreography includes contact tracing and the ability to keep cast members six feet apart. In addition, the costumes each actor wears cannot be tuned to a specific musical due to potential copyright issues. “It’s not going to look the same, but that doesn’t mean it can’t feel the same,” says Ia-
covelli. “What's most important to me is keeping the kids safe. Number one. We can't do this if we're not safe, and if we don’t feel safe. That has changed my perspective. When I'm in the room I have eyes in the back of my head making sure everybody is doing what they can to stay safe but still feel excited and motivated. So as much as I’m still creating this musical, even if it looks different.” We can expect this musical to be different from one’s done in the past, but that does not mean it has to be less of a fun experience. The goal of the show seems to be a way to “as much as we can push an escape from reality for people to sit down and enjoy the creative awesome talent that Rivers holds,” says Iacovelli. Despite the challenges this year’s crew is facing, many believe that this musical will be as amazing as the ones in the past. And, I can’t give away any details, but there's an exciting twist in the costumes. The style of a revue brings something new to the Rivers stage, and the hard word of the cast and crew to make it happen is something that can not be overlooked. Whether live at Regis College or from a camera at home, this year’s performance still carries a strong sense of community and determination. The show must go on and it promises to be a great one at that.
With new COVID guidelines, musical director Zoë Iacovelli makes use of the stage to teach new choreography in Kraft Dining Hall.
Artist inspired by nature and maps Continued from page 10 the frustrations of scientists and the genuine enthusiasm, joy, and determination that they have for their work. Similar but smaller pieces can be found throughout the Science Atrium of the Revers Center in an installation called “Dreamcatchers,” inspired by a remark from a scientist at the Broad, who noted that the pieces reminded him of dreamcatchers. Naoe explained that she felt a connection between her
work as an artist and the work of the scientists, relating to their experimentation and exploration. Her work displayed in the Baldwin Arts Commons in the Revers Center called “Sequencing Stories” was inspired by the 2001 scientific study about the sequencing and analysis of the human genome, which revolutionized the way we study biology and medicine. Another one of her pieces called“Accrescence” was inspired by the Edwin Smith
Papyrus, an ancient medical papyrus excavated from 1600 BC in Egypt. Her latest project, “Extinction Studies” takes a minimalistic approach on mapping, tracing the names of landmarks around the Adirondacks, such as “Eagle Lake” and “Salmon River”. It is safe to say that her art was appreciated. Said Abby Sikorski ‘22: “Seeing Naoe Suzuki’s work on campus was really inspiring.”
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The Rivers Edge
December 17, 2020
Sports
Girls’ hoops working hard to make the most of its season BY PAIGE MCCARTHY ’23 CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The varsity girl’s basketball team at Rivers has not only been affected by the playing guidelines and restrictions imposed by COVID-19, but also has undergone additional changes with the implementation of a new coach, Lindsay Miller. Last year, the team won 16 out of their 27 games. This year, their games are up in the air, and the team is starting off the season with practice only three days a week. Nevertheless, the team, consisting of five seniors, two juniors, three sophomores, and two freshmen, is aiming to make the most out of the season. As the former girls’ basketball coach and athletic director, Bob Pipe, has departed Rivers, Miller has gracefully stepped into the role of head coach alongside Chantal Jordan, the assistant coach. Previously, Miller was the assistant coach at her alma mater, Harvard University, and served as Harvard’s recruiting coordinator. Miller, who also founded Net Excellence, which offers services of sports psychology for athletes, is an active member of the Association of Applied Sports Psychology and directs the Hallion Hoop Academy. Miller helped her Westwood
High School team win two state titles. At Harvard she not only captained the team but led them to two Ivy League championships, earning her MVP honors. When leaving Rivers and his team, Pipe spoke reverently about Miller’s promising future as the head coach. “Lindsay will be a great coach and leader of young women,” Pipe said. “I’m confident not only that Rivers will continue to be one of the top programs in New England, but that Lindsay has the ability to bring it to the next level for many years to come.” Her role in mentorship and focus on player development have immediately become evident with her devotion to the players on the Rivers team. “I am very excited to have Coach Lindsay Miller as our coach,” said Lily Girard ’22. “With the season barely started, I already feel like I am growing as a player and as a person. She is enthusiastic and really cares about every single person on the team.” Although the season will be unpredictable with the changing status of COVID-19, Coach Miller is really excited. As she encourages “flexibility, patience and toughness,” she knows that “this team has those things”. She wants every player to have an attack mindset and embrace every opportunity in this unknown
time. As for possible games, she is looking for her athletes to “focus on coming together as a defensive team” as they continue to be “a unit on the court.” Girard encapsulated the team spirit perfectly in combination with Miller’s hopes: “The team is already meshing really well - a great start to the season,” she said. “I am keeping an open mind that we will have games later on. Staying positive will be a challenge, but with the team we have, I think we can do it together.” Led by the five captains- Talia Davis ’21, Mia Folliard ’21, Elise Harvey ’21, T Sallie ’21, and Cece Kinney ’21 - the team is unquestionably starting the season with an optimistic outlook as all five seniors are committedly stepping up into their leadership roles. “As of right now, COVID has forced us to be a team with more flexibility,’ said Davis. Nevertheless, Davis remains excited for a new team culture and a new season. The Rivers’ girls’ varsity basketball team has already shown tremendous grit and determination to brave the unknowns of a season amid a global pandemic, and the team is excited for promising opportunities for growth as a cohesive unit. “Rivers offers the trifecta: a devoted community, the highest level of academics and prepara-
Senior co-captain Talia Davis finishes a layup during a recent practice of the girls’ varsity basketball team. Photo by A. Stephens. tion, and a basketball program working to build on the prowith a rich tradition of excelgram’s success and above all, lence,” Miller remarked with offering unconditional support to enthusiasm. “I look forward to my players on and off the court.”
Boys’ hockey team looking forward to a unique season BY JASON GLICK ’24 CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The boys’ varsity hockey team is ready to get back into action this season. Prior to last season, which ended in a series of unfortunate losses, they held the title of Eberhart Champions for four consecutive years, so this will be an exciting team to watch this year. The season will look a bit different considering COVID-19 mask requirements and new locker room procedures, but all of the players are excited for a fun and hopefully strong season. “I think that our number one goal at the moment is to honestly just try to get some games in,” said four-year member Will Conway ’21. “We are all being extra cautious and are wearing our masks in order to make it possible. We had some great practices and are having a lot of fun, but we are just hoping to get some games in. We have a very strong team and hope that we are able to put some wins together once we are given the green light to play.” Games are limited this year because the ISL is not exactly happening as a result of the pandemic, so players are especially excited to get any playing time they can get. It will be a very special season for those who have been playing hockey
The boys’ varsity hockey team puts in some work on the ice last week under the watchful eye of new head coach Freddy Meyer (far right). Photo by A. Stephens. for years now and finally take a Bell ‘21. Nee has a lot of enthuNHL player Freddy Meyer. huge leadership role in their last siasm about getting back on the “I think that he can lead this year of high school hockey. For ice and playing at the highest team to great things this year seniors like Conway, this will and in the years to come, so I’m level possible. be their last year playing hockey looking forward to seeing that,” “We want every team to hate for Rivers and they are giving it playing us and dread when they said Conway. their all. Amato added, “This is Coach see they have to play Rivers “I want us to be a great again,” said Nee. “On top of Meyer’s first year with us and cohesive group and a tight knit that, we want to win hockey he’s been doing a great job so team,” said senior captain Sam games and be the best. Indifar. So we are all trying our Amato ’21, who is also hoping vidually, everyone has their best to apply his strategy and to bring out the best in his team- knowledge to our game in order own goals and aspirations and mates. “Every day we practice, realizes that their individual to become a dominant team.” everyone should be giving their He is content with having a new development as a player really best and competing at the highhelps the team as a whole.” coach around and is looking est level.” No team is ever perfect in forward to adapting to Meyer’s Both Conway and Amato the beginning of the season, as style of play. expressed excitement for having players believe that there are Alongside Amato as captains a new coach, BU standout and improvements needed in order are Coleman Nee ‘21 and Ryan
to become a better team. “Our number one goal is to score more goals. We have a lot of depth this year and should have good scoring depth throughout all 4 lines, so I think this is a goal that we should be able to achieve,” said Conway. He believes that with a strong forward depth chart, we should be seeing the Red Wings light the lamp often and put some goals on the scoreboard. Amato, too, has an objective in mind. “Regardless of whether or not we play games,” he said, “I think everyone wants to see us come together and compete at a high level as well as be super close off the ice.” Despite the different schedule this coming season, the team seems happy to get the opportunity to just play some other schools and work on their game. “We look to improve our offense production as we head into the season. We feel confident in our abilities with a strong group of returning players, and some promising new players that will contribute to our success,” stated Nee. This will be a different season than in the past, but the boys will be as competitive as ever, hoping to bring a championship - and with it a sense of normalcy! - back home to Rivers this winter.
December 17, 2020
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Sports
Talented, determined veterans lead boys’ basketball team BY SAM LYONS ’22 ASSISTANT EDITOR
Everything seems to be changing around Rivers. Constant turnover and turmoil seem inevitable. But the boys’ basketball team has retained most of its talent and looks to build off of last year’s successful season. In the 2019-20 season, the team, led by current Tufts player Jay Dieterle ‘20, had an impressive record of 16-8. After their disappointing loss to Saint George’s in the quarter-finals (76-66), beloved math teacher, new Athletic Director, and head coach Keith Zalaski (or “Mr. Z”) is now excited about this year’s personnel. “We are fortunate to have an excellent senior class, and I need to throw junior Max Poulton in there, in terms of leadership, ability, and competitiveness,” Zalaski said. “Between seniors Brian Gonsalves, Nicky Johnson, Jack Richard, Cam Tongue, and Max, we have a group of guys that love each other, love playing the game, and love wearing the Rivers uniform. They’ve
played in a lot of big games together and are excited to help teach their new and younger teammates about everything we value as a team.” The team will particularly look to second year captains Johnson and Tongue for production; the dynamic duo has consistently performed in the starting lineup for the past two years. With any luck, Cam and Nicky will continue their outstanding success in their senior campaign. In terms of their playoff hopes, Max Poulton is optimistic. “We expect to be in our same situation if not better, come crunch time,” said Max, who committed to Holy Cross earlier this year. “The league is wide open. And I think we have championship potential.” The lethal shooter’s optimism is encouraging. But we have to talk about the elephant in the room. COVID-19 has left all activities at Rivers ambiguous, but indoor athletics seem to be at an even higher risk. Lucky for the boys in red, their head coach is pretty much an expert. Coach Z, as the Athletic Director, has
The boys’ varsity baskketball team has been working hard as they prepare for whatever season comes their way. Photo by A. Stephens. already overseen an entire fall’s worth of sports work through COVID guidelines. “I learned a lot this fall, as our athletes and coaches did a great job of adapting to this new normal and finding ways to enjoy themselves along the way. The goal every year is to help kids and teams develop, and I think everyone learned something that they can use in the future. We
have already experienced the need to be flexible this year, and we will need that open-minded approach to make sure we stay connected and continue to grow,” he said. Still, it can be hard to keep a team motivated when even the bare minimum is in jeopardy. Coach Z is ready to tackle this challenge head on. “A lot of emphasis gets put
on games, and I fully understand why the value gets placed in those results. There are silverlinings to what we are working through, and one of them is that they need to have great practices come into focus much more clearly,” he said. “We don’t know what a schedule will look like, or whether we will play games, so we need to embrace each time we do get on the court together. We have a lot of guys that want to get better and know it involves work, so that’s what we are going to do however we can.” Poulton echoes his coach’s sentiments. “Because we don’t know what this year holds ahead, regarding the pandemic, our main goal is to get better everyday as basketball players, as a collective group, and most importantly, as people,” Poulton said. Though we’ll miss cheering them on in the holiday tournament and charging the court after big wins, those of us in Edge Nation and the entire Rivers community can’t wait to see this great squad in action - even if it’s over Zoom.
Nicky Johnson: great temmate and ferocious competitor BY ELLIE MCCARRON ’21 AND KENDALL DIAMOND ’21 ASSOCIATE EDITORS
Senior basketball captain Nicky Johnson is a player who draws crowds. As Rivers’ most decorated point guard, Johnson has truly brought his all while playing for the Rivers varsity boys’ basketball team. He truly encompasses what it means to be a student athlete with his numerous accomplishments in both the classroom and on the court. Whether it be racking up points for Coach Zalaski on the basketball team, or managing the score book for Coach Donahue and the girls’ soccer team, Johnson has had one of the biggest impacts a student-athlete could have at Rivers. Johnson’s high school career began at Buckingham, Browne & Nichols School. In the winter of 2016, Nicky put on the blue and yellow Knights jersey for the first time. Along with playing varsity football, he played on BB&N’s varsity basketball team for two years before transferring to Rivers and repeating his sophomore year as a Red Wing. Over the past two basketball seasons, Johnson has shown what it means to be a Rivers athlete. NERR Hoops declared that he would be voted the ISL’s Defensive Player of the Year for the 2020-2021 season after winning the same award last season. Johnson has been a true leader for his team, embodying the qualities of a superb athlete. A two-year varsity captain, selected by his peers, shows the respect he garners from teammates and how special a leader
he is. “Nicky is everything you’d want in a person, teammate, captain, and player,” said head basketball coach and Athletic Director Keith Zalaski. “He’s as good of a competitor as I’ve ever coached, and, off the court, he’s able to connect with every guy on our team.” Johnson’s impact was instantly felt upon his arrival at Rivers in the 2018-19 season during which the boys finished with an incredible 17-5 record. Johnson packed the stat sheet in points, assists, and steals, which greatly helped the Red Wings reach that impressive record that year. The team even made it to the NEPSAC Class B Quarterfinal game versus Marianapolis School. In the 2019-20 season, the team went 17-9, highlighted by a 71-40 take down against the Berkshire School in the semifinals of the 50th annual Holiday Tournament championship game. The squad was able to advance to the NEPSAC Class B quarterfinal playoff game. Johnson secured an ISL honorable mention, as well as a NEPSAC honorable mention for his immaculate performance throughout the season along with the coveted ISL Defensive Player of the Year Award. Like Coach Z, all his teammates only have high praise and respect for Johnson both as a person and for his style of play. “Playing with Nicky is like always having a pit bull by your side,” said fellow varsity captain Brian Gonsalves ’21. “He brings the intensity day in and day out at practice and during the games. He’s someone you can always
rely on. He’s a kid you want to play with and definitely not against.” Nicky Johnson has been a real star in his Rivers jersey for the past three years on the court. Though Nicky lives for competing and winning, it’s the smaller moments he will take with him beyond Benson gym. “Some of my favorite athletic memories have been during the annual Holiday Tournament both sophomore and junior year with all the fans. And the energy in the gym was unmatchable.” When it is not basketball season, Johnson could be found working as a “fan-favorite” girls’ varsity soccer manager in the fall. This past season, he managed alongside Ellie McCarron ’21 and fellow varsity teammate Cam Tongue ’21, the 6’8” center for Rivers. Though the season was short due to COVID-19, Johnson attended each game with as much intensity and fervor as one could hope for. “There is no one I would have rather managed with. It has been so much fun to watch Nicky get invested in the team, and the sport over the last two years,” McCarron said. “He brings the spirit and energy to each game. He gets us pumped to be out there.” Johnson brings his competitive attitude from the court to the field, and makes all around him better as a result. Johnson will continue his basketball career at Wesleyan University in the fall of 2021. “I am excited to play basketball at Wesleyan next year,” he said. “I like Wesleyan a lot because it
Senior captain Nicky Johnson, the 2019-20 ISL Defensive Player of the Year, has been a standout point guard and teammate. Stephens. has the mix of high academics and competitive athletics I was looking for. It also has a diverse student body.” The NESCAC league will be lucky to have Nicky Johnson as a competitor next winter. Rivers basketball fans are anticipating a great show from Nicky Johnson this winter. Although the circumstances of the league may look different due to the pandemic, there are still hopes that scrimages will be played during the 2020-2021 season where Johnson and his fellow senior teammates can don
red and white one last time on the court. No matter how this year’s season goes, Red Wings Nation will miss Nicky Johnson as he heads out to do incredible things in college, but Rivers will forever be grateful for the impact he has had. “Nicky is what every leader should aspire to be, someone that you love to play with and hate to play against,” said Coach Zaleksi. “I say it all the time about him, and it’s the absolute truth.”
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The Rivers Edge
December 17, 2020
Sports
Future is bright for girls’ hockey under new head coach BY WILL CONWAY’21 ASSOCIATE EDITOR
After three very successful seasons under their former head coach, Dana Trivignio, the girls’ varsity hockey program starts a new chapter under first year coach, Courtney Sheary. Sheary had a steller playing career on the ice at Cushing Academy and a standout collegiate run for the University of New Hampshire Wildcats. She served as the Assistant Captain for the Wildcats, and in 2011, won the Colleen Coyle Award, which is given to the team’s best defenseman. After her playing career, Sheary went on to coach girls’ varsity hockey and was also the assistant athletic director at her alma mater, Cushing Academy. After five years, she then moved up the coaching ranks by reaching the collegiate level where she was an assistant coach at Dartmouth College and later at Boston College. Currently, along with being the Rivers girls’ coach, Sheary is the head on-ice instructor for Dream Big Hockey Stars, which is a player development program owned by current Rivers boys’ hockey coach, Freddy Meyer. Sheary seems to be the perfect fit to lead the girls’ hockey program and build off of their success of the past few years under Trivigno. The team enjoyed an extremely successful final year under Trivigno, finishing their season
with an overall record of 19-5-2 and a 77% winning percentage. They enjoyed a 13-5-1 record in ISL play, and were 6-0-1 in nonconference play. The Red Wings also won the Dexter Southfield Tournament during the 2019 winter break, with a 2-0 win over Middlesex in the finals. The team ended up receiving a quarterfinal bye as the number one seed in the NEPSAC tournament and faced New Hampton in the semifinal where they blew them out, 5-1, at MacDowell Arena. Unfortunately, in the finals, they lost a heartbreaker to the 6th seed Cushing Academy Penguins, 2-1. Of course, the 2020-21 winter campaign looks a lot different. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has impacted everyone’s life in various ways. For the athletes of the Rivers girls’ varsity hockey team and high school athletes all over the country, there is a sense of uncertainty and fear that the pandemic will take away their season. However, it is important for all athletes to go about their business the same way as they would any other athletic season, and that is exactly what the girls’ team is doing. Despite not having any games on the schedule yet this year, the team plans on practicing on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in order to prepare for potential games later in the season, which would most likely come in mid
January at the earliest. At this point in time, it’s difficult to predict how the team will play under Coach Sheary, but it is highly likely that with the talented players the team has and the great hockey mind of their coach, this team will have a lot of success once games eventually get scheduled and played. According to senior captain Jenna MacDonald ’21, who will play for Harvard next year, Coach Sheary has already had a tremendous impact on the squad. “She’s bringing the intensity, despite how hard it must be being a new coach, especially with this year being the way that it is,” MacDonald said. “We are enjoying being back on the ice and she has been doing a great job.” Despite it being a challenging year to take over the team, the players all seem to be responding extremely well to Sheary’s coaching and leadership. As the season progresses and the prospect of a COVID-19 vaccine seems to become more and more likely, there are a lot of things for this team - and, for a matter of fact, this country - to be optimistic about. The team is responding positively to her coaching, having good practices, and displaying a great deal of respect for her too which is essential for the team to work cohesively together. With the potential for games to get scheduled later in the sea-
Lindsay Morin ’25 (left) and Mary O’Brien ’23 (right) fight for the puck during one of the hockey team’s first practices. Photo Stephens. son, there may be an opportunity to watch the team play and see just how far they have come during the pandemic practices being held. For now, safety is everyone’s top priority, and as a community, no one is ready to play games just yet. Although it is extremely frustrating for the girls’ hockey team that they aren’t able to skate against ISL rivals at the moment, it is important to put things into perspective. Many other prep schools around New England have not done as
well as the Rivers community has in its COVID-19 safety regulations, and thus, have already been forced to shut down their winter season athletics. The players realize how fortunate they are that the Rivers community, as a whole, has been responsible enough to be able to have the opportunity to practice so far, and, with continued hard work and discipline, they should be optimistic about what lies ahead.
antidote to the COVID blues,” he commented. “And hopefully the waffle shack will be open.” Similarly, the nordic ski team’s fifth season at Rivers also looks a little different this year due to not only COVID but also the team’s merging with cross country runners from the fall and other students interested in running and staying in shape over the winter in the form of a somewhat new sport, winter endurance training. Nordic head Coach John Adams is joined by Jeff Nisbet, who is new to Rivers this year as an art teacher and a girls’ cross country coach, and they have started the team off strong this winter with a very detailed training plan specific to both skiers and runners. The team, both skiers and runners, started the season with a timed mile to form training groups, and continued their first week of practice before Thanksgiving break with daily runs and roller skiing. Yes, that’s right, skis on wheels. Even over the remote week after Thanksgiving, Adams and Nisbet held Zoom warm-ups for the team. “Being able to connect with other kids in a relatively social and fun environment during a tough week of online school definitely brought a feeling of routine and normalcy into my daily routine, which I really
appreciated,” remarked junior Hannah Lapides. Unfortunately, the nordic skiers haven’t been able to bring out their skis and aren’t counting on it. Instead, this year is solely focused on roller skiing and running. “The biggest difference with COVID, other than masks,” explained senior captain Noah Naddaff-Slocum, “is that we can’t travel off campus to ski. We are doing our best to stay fit with running, but once we get back on campus we hope to start roller skiing more.” A new member of the team, sophomore Grace Brosnan, is new to running and hasn’t previously run cross country like many of her teammates. “Everyone participating comes with a smile and it’s a great environment to be in,” she said. “It’s a great way to get into running and hold yourself accountable to reach your goals.” Brosnan and her teammates are all trying to do their best to stay positive despite the global pandemic. Luckily for both alpine and nordic skiing/winter endurance athletes, their sport remains relatively COVID safe already. This season is obviously not ideal for anyone, but they are adjusting to this new normal in the best, most optimistic ways possible.
Alpine and Nordic ski teams train for upcoming season BY MIA PATEL ’23 CONTRIBUTING WRITER
With COVID-19 cases rapidly increasing throughout New England, a normal season for the alpine ski team isn’t looking promising; last season may have been taken for granted. In contrast with last winter when the team made it to the NEPSAC championships and had two race days a week at Nashoba Valley, this season has consisted mostly of dry-land training on campus. Sophomore members of the team Charlie Stuart, Nick Ruddy, and Graham Johnston all agreed that while last season was exciting, this year will certainly be different. Senior captains Lindsey Filoon and Izzy Guiliano are staying optimistic this year. They “plan on making the best out of the circumstances,” according to Guiliano. With 16 skiers on the team, eight of them being new, she thinks “they have a great group of kids on the team this year and [she is] excited for what the season brings.” So far this season, the alpine ski team has only been able to practice outside on campus, but under the leadership of Coach Ross Gormley, the team has been doing their best to work with what they have. “Dry-land training consists of circuits,
Skiers have a little fun between workouts. Photo by R. Gormley. light running, ultimate frisbee, handball, and even games like mafia,” Filoon explained. These games don’t deliver the same excitement as the “late-night practices,” Guiliano said, which “are one of the best parts of ski team.” However, though it might not be the most ideal situation, the team has focused on doing circuit workouts consisting of ladder exercises, core, strength, and balance to prepare for hopefully be able to start skiing after winter break. With an unexpected early snowfall in October, the team is hoping that the mountain will be open for them to hit the slopes in January.
As Coach Gormley pointed out, skiing even without taking special COVID precautions is relatively safe. They are always outside, often masked anyway, and naturally socially distanced during training and racing. However, historically, the team has had to travel together to Nashoba for practice everyday, and this year, transportation will be an issue. “I’ll need to drive with the windows open and heat on, so our brave racers can expect a cold night ahead of them,” Gormley remarked. Like the skiers, Gormley remains optimistic about this season. “The novelty of skiing at night with a team is the perfect
The Rivers Edge
December 17, 2020
Page 15
Sports
Fall varsity athletes, teams relished opportunity to play BY SKYLAR HOLMES ’23 CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Rivers takes flight in sports, just a little later than usual this year. It’s no question that Rivers sports teams perform against the strongest competition and repeatedly demonstrate success and sportsmanship. Headed into the “COVID Fall,” teams made the most of their circumstances. “There were a lot of adjustments that various teams needed to make over the course of the fall this year,” said Keith Zalaski, Director of Athletics. “And I was so impressed how everyone took these changes in stride and made the most of the circumstances.” Despite the many differences after school, athletes took to their sports with passion and commitment. “Whether it was no heading in soccer, a change to 7v7 in football, or more skills and drills to start the year, our coaches and kids embraced all changes with the hopes of just being on a field/court and doing whatever possible to enjoy the season,” said Zalaski. After progressing through the staged plan laid out by the Athletic Department, Rivers joined Nobles, BB&N, Thayer, St. Sebastian’s, and Belmont Hill to compete in “friendly” matches. Athletes competed in masks and without spectators while abiding by the rules set by the Heads of School Committee. Rivers athletics would not be the same without the amazing studentathletes of the class of 2021. Zalaski remarked, “We especially want to thank our seniors for working through their final fall season at Rivers, and I know this group of kids left their teams in a better place going forward.” There was no shortage of excitement when students rushed from the classroom doors to the fields. Soccer teams laced up their cleats early in the season, the girls’ and boys’ soccer teams mixed together and split into co-ed teams led by the five captains. Both teams played together in a fun and safe way to get some game-like scenarios into their practice schedules. On the other days, the girls soccer team took to Baker Field like usual and practiced daily with the anticipation of playing some games at some point, without heading the ball. “Although it was hard to stay positive and motivated because we did not get to play many games, RVGS as a whole really kept the spirits up,” said senior captain Mollie Franklin. “Every practice we all came in with smiles and the drive to work hard. With everyone looking at the bright side of this situation, we were able to have fun in new ways that usually come from playing games and working towards a banner in normal seasons.” The girls’ team’s mindset of
Senior captain Jameson Mannix ’21 heads up field during the soccer team’s scrimmage against BB&N earlier in the fall. “We were able to have a lot of good, high intensity practices,” said Mannix. Stephens. a mini-season each weekend helped them to stay on track throughout their time on the field. The boys’ team, led by senior captain Jameson Mannix and junior captains Calvin Lemley and Drew Stephans, pushed through their un-ideal season “competing in friendly matches and gathering for team activities on campus,” said Mannix. “We played multiple games after starting a month late and we were able to have a lot of good, high intensity practices. As a group, we were able to look past the unfortunate challenges we were facing and come together and unite as one big family, while also having fun every day by getting better.” Overall, the boys’ team became united as one, and under the lead of Rivers math teacher Matt Dias Costa ’13, the team was able to come out strong in their scrimmages. The team is hopeful for another season next year with a tight-knit team and a boys’ soccer community over on Nonesuch Field. The Rivers football team held their heads high after hearing the news that the season would now be strictly no-contact 7-on7. This change would cause lineman to not be included in
the scheduled games against other day schools in the area. Senior captains Gregg Dennison and Joey Kraft shared that they found the positives in the season by finding ways for the team “to come together and improve ourselves.” Kraft shared. “I think as the season went on, we [seniors] realized our purpose on the team this year wasn’t going to be to win games, but to prepare the younger kids to win for the future.as we can’t really leave our [intended] legacy on the field this year.” After hearing the news, new structures were implemented and the team made the most of what they had this season. “Coach Lindsey did a tremendous job in his first year as [head] coach here,” Kraft said of first year coach Randdy Lindsey. “He integrated senior vs. underclassmen games in practice to get [the underclassmen] up to speed, to be ready to play next year.” The football team is excited to see what next year holds as they continue to develop as individuals and mold together as a team next fall. Following an astounding undefeated season for the field hockey team last year, the girls looked to build on their success-
es. During this season’s conditions, the team found exciting ways to spread team spirit by having distanced team activities at school and by dressing up by class for a Halloween-themed practice. Class uniforms included freshmen dressed in onesies, sophomores dressed as pigs, the junior class creatively dressed in bathing suits, and on the chilly October day the spectacular senior class dressed as skiers. “We made the most out of the tricky season we had,” said junior captain Ellie Todd. “It definitely wasn’t ideal but the team and culture stayed very tight.” The team looks forward to next season and hopefully continuing to carry on with their success from last season. The outfield of Waterman Fields transformed into volleyball courts early in the season as the girls tried out for the team. Wearing masks and abiding by set rules, the players made the most of practices being able to play outside for much of the season. Senior captain of the Varsity team Mia Folliard shared her thoughts on the team’s response to the season: “We always made sure to make practice super fun and it seemed to be the best part of everyone’s day. Our coaches
Varsity field hockey player Kayla Castellucci ’22 goes for the ball in the BB&N game. Photo by Stephens.
wanted to make the best out of every chance we got to be able to play and we all were very grateful we got to be together.” In addition to the team’s Halloween-themed practice, the team ended the unideal season with an exciting Christmasthemed practice. “While I know this year has to be frustrating for everyone, it felt right to end the year together,” said co-captain Elise Harvey ’21. “This team is amazing and put everything they could into that game. I can’t wait to hear about them winning the ISL next year.” The growth that the volleyball team has made over the last few years having volleyball at Rivers has been outstanding and everyone is excited to see what the team can do next season. Running throughout the neighborhood streets near Rivers became a daily practice for the boys’ and girls’ cross country teams this fall. With fewer races on the schedule, the teams needed to find ways to bring the competition to push individuals to shorten their times. The boys’ team participated in timed miles, timed two-mile runs, and longer runs around campus and surrounding areas. To change up the daily repetition, the team divided into two and four-person groups and ran mock-meets for some competition. Friendly competition against surrounding schools became something to prepare for rather than the early season runs to beat personal times. Runners competed against their own times and compared them to runners from different schools. The girls team shared similar practices every afternoon in preparation for the occasional races they were able to compete in. “Despite various challenges this season, we ended up having a really good year,” said captain Meredith Shah ’21. “We got a few races in, which was exciting, and our whole team was able to improve on their times by a lot. We also got to have a few team dinners on campus which were so fun and really made it feel like it was a normal season.” Keeping the team culture tight throughout these times and ensuring that all teammates were doing well became an important daily task for teammates on the cross country team and all other Rivers fall sports. Embracing the normalities of the season and formulating new ideas of safe activities were challenges for this year’s fall sport captains, but this season would not have been successful without them. Rivers athletics is very impressed by the ways student athletes were able to face adversity and come out of the challenges with smiles on their faces and positive attitudes. Rivers student athletes definitely worked to “find the good” this season.
Page 16
The Rivers Edge
Around Campus
December 17, 2020
Travis Roy inspired many with his message and example BY ELENA ZUVEKAS ’22 CONTRIBUTING WRITER
“Let my life be a lesson to you. I hope that by sharing my story with you today, I can help make a difference in your life. Maybe I’ll help you make a difference in someone else’s life.” These are the words that Travis Roy used to address the Rivers community just weeks before his passing. Rivers has been privileged to hear Roy speak four times over the years. Following each visit, especially this year over Zoom in November, students and faculty left feeling motivated and inspired. And then the news hit about Roy’s untimely death. After the announcement of Roy’s passing on Oct. 29, tributes overwhelmed social media feeds, and admiration for Roy extended far beyond the hockey world. Members of the Rivers community expressed sorrow for this immense loss and gratitude for everything they were fortunate enough to learn from him. Travis Roy’s story began in Maine where he grew up and fell in love with hockey. A natural athlete, Roy continuously set both academic and athletic goals and quickly rose to become one of the top hockey recruits in the country. After graduating from Tabor Academy, he went on to continue his academic and
athletic career at Boston University, one of the top D1 hockey programs in the country. As Roy put it, “I believe there are times when we choose our challenges, we set our goals, and then there are other times where the challenges simply choose us. It’s what you do in the face of those challenges that defines who you are and what you’ll become.” On October 20, 1995, after decades of training, sacrifices, and hard work, Roy had his Division One hockey debut. Just eleven seconds into his first NCAA shift, Roy was met with the challenge of a lifetime. At only 20 years old, Roy became a quadriplegic after crashing headfirst into the boards and cracking his fourth and fifth vertebrae. As Roy lay on the ice that night, his thoughts were not consumed by the panic of his injury, but by the excitement of finally realizing his childhood dream of playing D1 hockey. Troy remembered telling his father, “but Dad, I made it.” As he explained to The Rivers School: “As far as I was concerned, I had made it. I had stepped out onto the ice for a division 1 hockey team and no one could take that away from me…for those eleven seconds, I had proven that this little kid from Maine had beaten the odds.” While Travis Roy’s constant hard work and his passion for
hockey before his injury does not go unnoticed, Roy is largely defined by his accomplishments after his accident. While searching to fill the void in his life that was once consumed by hockey, Roy transferred his focus to helping as many people as possible. After a challenging few months confined to a hospital bed, Roy returned to BU to continue his academic career. He graduated in 1999 with a degree in communications. While in college, Roy found his purpose as a philanthropist and author. In 1996, he began the Travis Roy Foundation, and in 1998, he published his autobiography, Eleven Seconds. The Travis Roy Foundation is devoted to helping survivors of spinal cord injuries live as independently as possible. The foundation focuses on funding scientific research committed to understanding and solving paralysis-related challenges and giving adaptive equipment grants. Over the years, the TRF has allocated over $9 million to research projects, rehabilitation institutions, and individual grants. These donations have had vast impact on quadriplegic and paraplegic individuals, and they make it possible for these individuals to live independent and hopeful lives. Travis Roy has been granted a variety of awards and honors for
yesterday, I will feel like a girl who despite growing older still is incredibly small.
Girls are the taste of rolled sugar stuck to your bottom lip I ask myself why I am the way I am today and then remember Standing in front of the mirror with my best friend Pointing towards the smalls and bigs of our own bodies that we longed to trade. We would sit on our cold kitchen floors choosing code names for our crushes while simultaneously
Travis Roy was an inspiration to many over his lifetime. File photo. and honors, tangible reminders his accomplishments. His numof his success, certainly reflect ber 24 was Boston University’s that notion. first hockey number to be retired Travis Roy passed all too and raised to the rafters of Walter soon, at the age of 41. According Brown Arena. Now, number 24 to a family spokesperson, Roy hangs proudly in Agganis Arena, died due to complications from a alongside #6, the jersey of his procedure required to support his former coach Jack Parker. Simiquality of life. After this unexlarly, Roy was presented with an pected and tragic loss, we must honorary Doctorate in Humane carry on Travis Roy’s legacy. Letters from Boston University After being given the privilege in 2016. Additionally, on the to hear Roy speak before his 20th anniversary of Roy’s accident, Mayor Marty Walsh even passing, we must reflect on his declared October 20th as “Travis experience and discover our own values. As he told Rivers: “Who Roy Day’’ in Boston. When you are at the core is really speaking to the Rivers School, what’s going to get you through Roy exclaimed, “I’ve come life’s challenges, whether you farther than I ever could have imagined.” His numerous awards chose them...or they chose you.”
Remembering the importance of what it means to be a girl BY TALIA DAVIS ’21 CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The girliest thing I’ve ever done Was cry over something I made up in my head Something that literally never happened And yet felt like the realest thing to cross my mind in months. When I say that I will always feel like a girl I mean the word woman feels sour on my tongue, I mean that I don’t mind crying behind closed doors or in the middle of a room That I will act as if my friends and I are the only ones in the entire world Our huddled shoes and squeals smashing into the sidewalk and everyone around us. And I will stare at the woman sitting alone on the bench and hope she notices me, Hope she sees the young girl gazing at her trying to understand her life story through her skin, Wondering who she is, is she happy, did she finally grow beyond feeling like a girl. And I believe even after my hair turns from black coils to scraggly silver strands like paper, Even after I twist my words over each other and tumble through memories that should feel like
Though I believe there is something wonderfully beautiful about feeling like a girl The superficial eye roll, turn your music up to ten and bend your arms through the air, Girls lying over each other, limbs draped like sheets, voices awkward songs of soul and satisfaction And everyone watches them, wonders where they learned how to speak in their languages of high pitched squeaks. Who let them possess an entire room without acknowledgement of anyone around them? Who let them wear the spiny stretch marks of their thighs without shame? Who let them drag their hands from shielding their stomachs to finally be seen? A girl holds her breath as she passes by a cemetary in the backseat of her mom’s minivan Later, her breath fogs up the window and she traces a heart in the steam.
pledging to never, never give up on ourselves. We were just young girls and did not yet know how radical it was to accept who we were. There’s something incredible about Wanting to be loved like the sky, But accepting the tiniest pieces
and insisting you’re full. Feeling beyond your own mind for the 2 minutes and forty six seconds of a song of terrible heartbreak, Last time I listened to one, I thought I might die. Girls are like the envious push and pull of blue oceans We clog them with scraps of indifference And yet they are still drawn back Almost always boiling over to stop short
completely means That I will never stop expecting people to be good But haven’t quite learned how to trust anyone to catch my words as they fall from my chest. That I will be naive, Stand unfazed in front of cat calls, and think to myself maybe he was just lonely. Maybe he just wanted to say hi. I mean that I am aware how I grow every day but am not sure how to always feel like enough.
They are daffodils on fire Skin soft and sweet, But not only for you. You touch them without asking and they will burn you. The ambience rising from your ashes is a love story to their liberty.
I remind myself that I will always be a girl So I do not beg for anything beyond my reach. Nothing is beyond my reach I do not ignore whatever past lies behind me I do not ask for permission to wear the pants But I build my own sewing machine that grants me my own freedom. The world tells me what I do not want to hear, and I listen.
When I say that I will always be a girl I mean that I used to really really hate who I was I mean that I can’t always recognize how I live within my own skin Only that I wake up each morning, slip into clothes far too warm for the weather and routines far too rigid for emotional reward. I mean that I haven’t yet figured out what loving myself
So I digress, The girliest thing I’ve ever done Was drive through the night, Every window down, And scream at the top of my lungs. And I remember the young girl I once was As she reminds me how to scream.