Winter Break: Locations and Opinions

by Anouk Shin’26

Winter break is just around the corner, less than a month after the week and a half long Thanksgiving break. Preceding it is a week of assessments, due dates, and an overall hectic schedule. 

St. Markers will be visiting family and friends all over the fifty states for Winter Break, staying in Rhode Island, California, Georgia, Connecticut, New York, Minnesota, and Virginia–to name just a few. International students will be going overseas to their home countries, or staying with host families. Nevertheless, it seems as though home is a very common destination for winter break, and a destination much preferred over school. Ivy Song ‘26 says, “It’s Christmas and New Year– I don’t want to spend it in school.”

However, winter break is a slightly controversial topic among St. Markers. Most express that winter break is “necessary,” especially due to assessment week and the fact that Christmas (for those who celebrate it) as well as New Year’s day both happen over the break. Others, however, believe it to be a “hassle,” and international students in particular have trouble finding plane tickets or places to stay with the awkwardly placed, intermittent Winter and Thanksgiving breaks. Consequently, international students, although agreeing with the notion of winter break, wish that it were combined with Thanksgiving Break. 

Still other students think that Winter Break is not necessary at all–just a nice way to come together with family in the holiday spirit. As Max Wang ‘26 states, “Winter break is not needed, but students like it.” My opinion on winter break leans towards this sentiment. I feel as though it would be best for all students if winter break were “optional” and did not require a move out of campus, in a similar fashion to Family Weekend. While some students may choose to visit their families, others who do not prefer to move out would be able to stay in the dorms with their friends instead, with weekend activities available. 

Whether you think that winter break is necessary or not, I hope all St. Markers get through the chaotic weeks with rest to look forward to!

School in Between Breaks?!

by Vanessa Leung ‘25

After a hopefully wonderful Thanksgiving break full of rest and reunion, students force themselves back into the daily rigor of school and athletics. Of course, shifting from 10 hours of sleep and idling around back to the compacted school schedule is never easy, but as this cycle gradually repeats and we slowly get back into the fast-paced lifestyle that once dominated our lives since the beginning of the school year we are then thrown back into an 18 day break and again into the slow, relaxing rhythm of a holiday mood. 

In between Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks stands an awkward three-week period of school. Like an advertisement in between a suspenseful moment in your TV show, this interval stops you from enjoying holiday life. Perhaps these three weeks are a way for St. Mark’s to shift from fall to winter season, but at the same time the three weeks in between the two breaks do raise challenges for many students. 

On the first day back after break, many students have jokingly commented on how the school should’ve also included the three weeks in between the two breaks off as they don’t see the point in having only a short period of school. Students who don’t live locally talked about the inconveniences of having to unpack back from break only soon to pack up again for Christmas. International students also stated the possibility to travel back to their home countries for a longer duration if the two holidays were connected. 

These three weeks however shouldn’t be seen as just a mere pause from break. As we all know, this period is full of abnormalities such as the Monday-Friday special schedule, Lessons and Carols, Songfest, and assessment week. Songfest, held on Friday December 2, was a blast as each dorm house competed and showcased their performances of dancing to a Christmas themed song. After the Songfest winners were announced (congrats to Thayer and Sculley 2!) was the Christmas tree lighting, where St. Markers were allowed to get into an early holiday festivity with their friends and school community. Lessons and Carols would also be held in Chapel where students perform and sing along to Christmas carol songs. Of course, there is also assessment week, where classes assign projects or tests for students on their assessment day. Yet do not worry as there will be an Exam bake, a place to get homemade sweets and snacks brought in by parents, to encourage you on!

While this may not be your typical three weeks of school, this time period definitely shouldn’t be overlooked, as it is a time to get into a festive mood and get all your major academic work done so you don’t have to worry about it over break!

The Case Against Assessment Week

By Steven Yang ‘23

Like clockwork, hundreds of St. Markers will study hours for their midterms during assessment week, working tirelessly for a positive academic start to Window 2. But balancing the beginning of winter athletics and up to seven classes is already difficult for many students—is assessment week really necessary?

Assessment week currently has a unique schedule, with students having two long blocks every day that each lasts two hours, one from 8:30 to 10:30 and the other from 1 to 3. Wednesday morning consists of a reading block, where students essentially have free time to use however they want, for example, as a sleep-in or just extra study time. Athletic practices still happen for most students, meaning their afternoons are still taken up and not allowed for studying. The upside of this schedule, though, is that students retain free time from 10:30 until 1 every day, and can use that to study in addition to the time offered during the reading block and any frees.

The issue is the large disparity between what teachers do for assessment week, as they have lots of freedom as to what they do. Some assign group projects weeks in advance, presenting their final project during assessment week. Others watch movies and use the block as an opportunity for students to relax. Only some teachers actually use “assessments”, or tests, during their time. 

As a result, some students will have a stressful assessment week, with five or six tests—others will have no tests at all. This makes assessment week virtually pointless. In a normal week, students get varying amounts of testing and work anyway. Assessment week doesn’t change that, but with the negative consequence of cutting class time for all classes. Even though classes wouldn’t meet on Friday due to the beginning of Winter Break, all classes would meet for longer in an abridged week with a normal schedule. Why keep assessment week if it isn’t having its intended effect?

Sustainability is a Community Effort

By Andrea Xu’23

I was piqued to learn more about the sustainability program because a flickering lamp next to the Chapel on the Front Circle lawn haunted my friend Ariel. Before conversing with school leaders, I needed to be better informed about the sustainability campaigns on campus. Having interviewed Wendy Wu, co-head of Students for Sustainability (S4S), and Ms. Lohwater, Sustainability Coordinator at St. Mark’s, I feel empowered to appreciate the sincerity in simple actions. Energy conservation is vital in a time of war sanctions, in which restricted access to natural gas drives energy prices high. 

Words from Ms. Lohwater

Last Saturday, I interviewed Ms. Lohwater, a Biology teacher at St. Mark’s, about her visions for the school’s sustainability campaign. In addition to advising S4S, the Student for Sustainability club, she has the title “Sustainability Coordinator,” where she sets and tracks the school’s sustainability goals and helps coordinate members in our community to achieve those goals. Last year, in 2021, Ms. Lohwater approved the Climate Action Plan to reduce carbon emissions by 10% by 2025 and replace new LED lightbulbs. (Want to know more about sustainability? Click here: stmarksschool.org/campus-life/sustainability) Ms. Lohwater said, “They’re not exciting for anyone, but they are important.” 

For instance, the steam plants across from Health Services use natural gas to produce steam used to heat the campus. Recently, the school repaired many of the steam traps, which reduced the amount of steam lost through the piping system. While the repair would only cost $50,000, this one-time expenditure paves the way for saving the school $50,000 and buying more natural gases each year!

Another example of utilizing solar energy is her role in the new dorm architecture process. Ms. Lohwater noted that solar plants cover 50%-60% of the energy input in the building.

In the upcoming week, Ms. Lohwater will meet with the administrative teams from all departments to coordinate their partnerships and her sustainability goals. Again, she reiterates that this can’t be done alone, and everybody in the community needs to partake in the environmentalist cause. 

Unlike many other faculty at St. Mark’s, it’s noteworthy that Ms. Lohwater doesn’t coach sports. “Sustainability takes up at least a fifth of my work hours. My other workloads include being a House parent and teaching.” Ms. Lohwater interposed while pouring her sincere passion for being the sustainability coordinator. She also meets with the board of trustees when they come to visit the school. The board of trustees doesn’t need to be convinced of the motivation behind the campaigns. Nonetheless, they must know that the missions are good for the environment and a financial win. The less the school spends on gasoline, the cheaper it is to run the school.

Ms. Lohwater noted that her personal goal for 2022 is to refocus on the sustainability goal at St. Mark’s. Before the pandemic, the sustainability committee marked progress for the school to be environmentally aware. Then, COVID hit. Much of what the school had previously achieved is dissipated by the stint of the pandemic. Many eco-conscious habits, like turning off the lights in the library after 10 PM, or proper recycling, are lost in our community. “There’s no global issue more urgent than climate change,” Ms. Lohwater remarked on the dire situation of the ongoing climate change. Ms. Lohwater encouraged us to know that everyone has a part to play: we can’t fix the things we don’t know. 

Voices from A Student Leader

Wendy Wu ’24, one of the co-heads of S4S, introduced me to the student-led sustainability group. The theme for this upcoming year is upcycling. Unlike last year where the team covered all the themes of sustainability, a focus on a specific topic can be more productive. “We can’t really do our best if we wanted to cover all of them. Instead, I thought about narrowing it down to one topic,” Wendy said. Upcycling is the concept of taking waste and creating something new from it in its current state. Wendy told me that upcycling is not limited to collecting worn clothing items. Things like old stationeries, household utensils, and furniture are all valid. S4S plans to organize a trade fair, similar to a flea market, to collect recyclable wastes. “It’s similar to the Green Move Out this May.” She reminded me. A more thrilling move is potentially to organize weekend trips to vintage stores for the upcycling cause. 

Thinking about likely areas of improvement in the coming year, Wendy underscored that the gesture of sustainability is not to win praise, but instead integrate this conscious habit into our life. She also hoped that students could have more agency over sustainability. “Our club advisor, Ms. Lohwater, encouraged the school to recycle plastic bottles. But people still purchase plastics anyway.” As the student leader, Wendy wanted students to take more responsibility for the sustainability initiatives, for thus, the spirit of sustainability is more firmly implanted in the St. Mark’s culture. 

ASA New Structure

By Ingrid Yeung’23

The Community and Equity department at St. Mark’s always works to provide an inclusive space for students of all backgrounds and identities. Through affinity group spaces, students can openly discuss issues in safe environments with other students who share the same identities as them. However, there are times when a group covers an overarching identity, and specific subgroups of students feel underrepresented. Asian Students Alliance (ASA), in this case, struggled with ensuring that all voices within the group were heard. Thus, to better serve student needs the ASA will restructure and experiment with a new model next year. Working together with Pathways, the new leaders and faculty advisors will strive to build a group that recognizes the internal diversity of the school’s Asian community and promise that all different voices and celebrations of our identities are valued. 

Designed to encompass all Asian students, ASA has served the student body for many years. As the majority of the Asian student population in St. Mark’s is East Asian, many events, discussions, and celebrations tend to accommodate East Asian students, especially Chinese students more than any other. While it is typical for the outer world to generalize the Asian population, the ASA leaders realized the importance of  upholding internal diversity. Thus, during the previous years, the ASA established a system to diversify the representation in leadership and to empower members to contribute to the overall programming. The group has had “Reps” of various identities, such as an LGBTQIA+ community Rep and a South Asian Rep. Despite the different perspectives that the representatives brought, many ASA members still felt that their voices were unheard, and therefore desired to break off to seek their own safe affinity space. This year, students called to start an Asian American and a South Asian affinity group, which will stand separate from ASA. However, seeing the potential confusion with having general and specific Asian Alliance groups, the faculty advisors and the current leaders of the ASA proposed the restructuring of ASA. 

Although there are hardships and difficulties in satisfying the entire Asian student body, leaders tried their best to mold the ASA into a new model that celebrates diversity while valuing unity and inclusivity. After having a closed meeting discussing the potential restructuring and collecting student feedback, the ASA leaders resolved to establish two affinity groups: the Association of South East/East Asians (ASEA) and the South Asian Student Society (SASS). These two affinity groups will be independent of each other but share the same resources and characteristics as other affinity groups, while still under the overarching umbrella of the Asian Student Alliance. The leaders and advisors of both groups will serve on the Alliance and meet regularly to plan activities for the Pan-Asian community at St. Mark’s. 

Amidst the change in the structure of the ASA and the worries and fear brought by it, students and adults of the Asian community reacted to this sudden, yet not entirely unanticipated change. Current ASA head Zimo Tang expressed his feeling about the dissolution of the original ASA, “It's sad to see that we will no longer have one big group that represents solidarity among the Asian student body, but I'm sure the two new groups hold great prospects ahead and will take care of the needs of our Asian students more specifically.” Ms. Starry Zhu, the ASA advisor and associate director of C&E, is hopeful for the potential of the new structure, “I'm very excited about the restructuring, or as a matter of fact, the expansion of the Asian Student Alliance (ASA) next year. I believe the two new groups, the Association of Southeast & East Asians (ASEA) and the South Asian Student Society (SASS), will become more intentional and meaningful affinity spaces for our diverse Pan-Asian student population. In addition, when these two groups work collaboratively under the structure of the ASA, they will also be able to leverage the collective power and increase the visibility of the Pan-Asian students and their unique experiences at St. Mark's.” Despite the many uncertainties regarding the change and new structure, all of us are hopeful about what the new model will bring to the Asian community here at St. Mark’s.

Overview of Interview with FLIK Staff member

By Jackie Huang’24

If you were to give an estimation, approximately how takeout boxes are used every single day?

“I know we go through a lot. There is a good example. We ordered at the beginning of the month, about $700 worth of to-go boxes, and we went through them in two weeks. This [pattern] has been constant, that is why we went to the paper plates.”

Does accessibility to take-out boxes change for the different types (paper, plastic, biodegradable, etc)?

“There are cheaper ones, but then they are cheap. You are pretty much paying for what you are getting. The [sustainable] ones are not always good quality. It’s hard to find a balance.”

When and who are boxes most commonly used?

“More students. Because they will come, eat, and then go get more. But of course the amount they bring back to the dish room, and then they get more. More dinner, a little bit of lunch. I don’t really see much of it during breakfast.”

What is the intended purpose of Takeout boxes?

“We did the takeout more for anyone that, because of COVID they wanted to eat somewhere else. It wasn’t more for the fact of, you eat, you get food to go back with. But we can’t stop everyone”

Is COVID safety still a primary concern with Takeout boxes?

“It is because it is hard to, not only because of the boxes, determine how much food to make. 

Follow-up: Could you elaborate more on that?

“Because we make so much, and we have no problems with people coming back for seconds, but seeing the pick buckets (where students used to scrape their food), always get filled pretty fast through each meal. But then on top of that people are taking their food-to-go, so when we run out of food we feel so bad - but then we see it in the pick bucket.”

So where does all the food waste go?

“We have this farmer that comes and picks up all the buckets, and he will cook it and feed it to the pigs. It’s not really a waste, but it is. And it’s hard to condense the food waste all to one when people are taking them to the dorms”

Do you foresee takeout boxes continuing in the future, even after the pandemic?

“We have talked about only doing takeout for maybe like a half hour before we close. So if we close at 7, you can only takeout from 6:30-7. Because this will cut down on a lot of to-go boxes and will also keep people from people grabbing boxes and eating in here

Are personal takeout boxes allowed?

“Yes, totally! Personal to-go boxes are encouraged, as long as they are fully cleaned”

One last message for the student body?

“If you do take a to-go, be considerate and don’t sit in the dining hall with it. Because our trash can inside isn’t meant for it. But also think that it is only meant to have for one meal, it’s not to fill with all one dish. We also feel bad when we don’t have to-gos for the ones who really need the to-go’s.

Why All Students Should Participate in the One Acts

By Johnathan Hernandez’24

Each year, the St. Mark’s Theater Department holds the 24-hour Student-Directed One-Acts Festival. During the festival, actors and directors must learn and rehearse their scripts given to them twenty-four hours before their performances. This year’s performances took place on May 13th and 14th, with the performance on the 14th meaning to honor Les Baird. Les Baird, a former director and faculty member at St. Mark’s, started the tradition of the student-directed one-acts, and sadly passed away in the summer of 2021. This year’s student directors were Kendall Sommers, Michael Ferlisi, Sydni Williams, and Sophie Ledonio, who all directed a variety of plays such as Macbeth, Service with a Smile, many more. 

This year, I had the pleasure to participate by acting in two of this year’s one-acts. On the Thursday before the first performances, directors were given their plays and actors at random selection. From there, me and my fellow actors had twenty-four hours to learn our lines for our upcoming performances. Having never acted before, this was a new experience for me; I felt like a fish out of water. The two plays that I was cast in were in Macbeth as the Announcer/Narrator and in The Lower Depths as Jeff, a character who finds themselves having an existential crisis when they begin a conversation by simply saying “Hi.” 

In being a first-time actor, I had much to learn as I began to participate in this year’s one-acts. I had to learn about the different parts of acting, such as the different stage directions and how to project. I was also able to learn more about theater culture and how much work goes into making a production happen. As a shy person, I found it very helpful in being in a production because of the way it helped me overcome part of my fear in public speaking. Through the nature of the one-acts, these natural hiccups that come with a twenty-four hour preparation production help those participating, such as myself, become more content with messing up. At St. Mark’s, it is evident that many students fear messing up or receiving bad grades. This fear of failing or getting bad grades prevents us from trying new things and failing. 

Rather, students should take advantage of these opportunities to participate in activities such as the one-acts and try new things out of their comfort zone and be more comfortable with failing. Moreover, being in one-acts allows students to practice an art that improves their articulation. I feel that by participating in this year’s one-acts, I was not only able to learn so much more about the theater and acting, but also able to become more confident in my speaking. This is an opportunity that I hope all students would participate in at least once during their career at St. Mark’s for both their personal growth and enjoyment.   

Is St. Mark's adressing Roe Vs Wade well?

By Grace Lee’23

St. Mark’s is a closed community, where we sometimes feel like we are in our own corner of the world. Though, no matter how tight knit of a community we are, we will always be part of larger communities - such as women, men, Christians, Atheists, Americans, immigrants. No matter which groups a St. Marker identifies with, the overturning of Roe vs. Wade is sure to impact each community differently. Multiple St. Mark’s communities each had their own approach to processing and discussing the issue, so I interviewed multiple members of our school to learn about their thoughts on how the St. Mark’s communities are addressing the overturn of Roe vs. Wade. 

Disclaimer: St. Mark’s is one student and faculty body, so I did not want to separate this article by pro-choice and pro-life sections. However, it became apparent that students on opposing sides of the spectrum had very different beliefs about the questions asked, and it became clear that each group had different needs and experiences - therefore, it is illogical to describe their thoughts together. Please understand that there is no intention to create division amongst students.

Question: How effectively do you feel that the St. Mark’s community - both faculty or student groups - have addressed the overturn of Roe vs. Wade? What has been done effectively or ineffectively? 

Starting with students who lean towards pro-choice beliefs: some felt as though St Mark’s - school and faculty - had not done enough to address the issue. Some felt that school-led discussions were held and emails were sent just to check the box of “addressing” an issue, and that this is not the first time that the school has not performed up to par with handling social justice work, as student affinity groups and clubs were the ones who had taken on the most duties. An anonymous 6th former feels as though the school has failed to educate men and allies about periods and pregnancy, which are crucial details to know about when discussing abortion rights. Additionally, many students were bothered by others who did not take the discussions of Roe vs. Wade seriously during debates and in the school day. As Charlie Poulin, 5th former, stated, “No matter what side you are on, this is an issue that involves people’s rights - so it’s wrong to make jokes about this issue.” On the topic of division in the student community, Diane Kwon, a 4th former, felt as though discussions were a much better idea than debates, as the division was especially furthered in some debates that required students to identify a clear side to argue for, which isn’t conducive to progress as there is no clear winner of these debates. 

Another issue that was very bothersome to students was the faculty decision to remove some posters in the dining hall, as St. Mark’s represents a diverse community of students in which their opinions should not be silenced. Diane thinks that this is silencing student voices, and that the overturn is an issue that is especially painful in a small community, as it causes students to become more divided than they already are - which is why it is important to respect others’ expressions of their opinions, even when emotions are running high. 

Students on the pro-life side of the spectrum had mixed beliefs on the work of the faculty during this situation. Michael Ferlisi, a 6th former, thought that many in-class debates run by left-leaning teachers caused the debate to be one-sided. He says that productivity is lost when the authority figure of the class favors one belief, but understands that New England has a tendency towards left-leaning politics so it makes sense that teachers and students have pro-choice views. Contrarily, Ezio Salimbeni, a 4th former, thinks that the faculty have done a good job with handling negative reactions towards pro-life beliefs. He also got support from the chaplins, as it is difficult to argue from a religious standpoint. 

It is very clear that our school has a majority that leans towards pro-choice, so I talked to pro-life students about how they have been treated after the overturn has been released. Some students believe that there is much work to be done in terms of tolerance in the student body. Michael knows that it is tough to be a student outside of the “liberal norm”, as he lost friends on the day of the pro-choice protest as he refused to join. Many conservative students need to evaluate - which do you value more, your beliefs or your friendships? Ezio, on the other hand, feels very involved in politics, so he does not find it difficult to stand out in the student body, and looks forward to starting a conservative club. Overall, students felt that the school makes it clear that students will not be punished for their ideas, and that the entire community should see this issue as a learning experience.

I talked to the heads of Southborough Society - Suha Choi and Kelly Yang. They received mixed opinions from the student body and faculty about their open meeting, however, it is to note that Suha - a 6th former - ran and organized the meeting all by herself. She notes that it was mentally challenging to navigate the influx of information about Roe vs. Wade, but she wants people to know that this is an issue within the Supreme Court. It is infuriating yet refreshing to know that we, average people, do not have control over their decision. Suha says that we should take breaks accordingly, and while debates are important, it is much more therapeutic to support your stance with practical actions, such as emailing governors and donating to organizations. 

Kelly reminds us that other countries have different laws on abortion and different feminist movements, which is why we must not compare different ideas and people’s cultural beliefs that influence their idea on abortion.

Suha and Kelly both believe that it is important to re-evaluate our curriculum. Kelly believes that classes should have focus on women’s history, which place more emphasis on the actual women rather than the political scene as this would create more healthy conversation. Suha thinks that it is not only upon pathways groups to hold conversations, but there is equal responsibility on students to know how to discuss civilly when their opinions are different - which is why there should be a change in curriculum with more debates involved, so teachers can give proper guidance. To conclude, both heads agreed that this issue showcased a large area of growth for the school community.

Then, I interviewed faculty. Ms. Martin found the timing of debates to be very difficult, as it’s hard to plan a sufficient chunk of time to share ideas. We need a more reactive space as well as the opportunities to discuss with our forms or in a closed space, as many students did not get to process their emotions correctly. Additionally, hearing a range of voices outside of the school community is important as well. Dr. Worrell suggested to Ms. Martin that we read quotes from people outside of our community from a range of opinions, and then to sit and reflect, as empathy is more important than proving yourself right. I interviewed Ms. Starry, who believes that students have largely bore the burden to hold difficult discussions - which should be faculty’s work. A few anonymous teachers also believed that it would be great to hear a statement from higher administration, specifically acknowledging that our school is part of a larger community that will be affected by this issue, and that the school acknowledges that tensions are running high.

Ms. Starry states that teachers also need to be aware of biases in their classrooms as students need a safe space. An anonymous teacher felt very strongly about pro-choice, and did not attend any debates as it would have a clear impact on her view of the student. 

The teachers that had a say in the removal of certain posters in the dining hall - a decision that received backlash from the students - decided so as some children are not familiar with certain slang words with negative connotations. A teacher that stated her discomfort states that she is very happy to see posters on both sides of the belief spectrum, but believes we should stick with more appropriate slogans like “hands off my body” or use biological terms, like uterus or vagina instead of slang.

Finally, talking with the Pathways prefects was crucial, as they have many ideas on how the school and faculty can improve themselves. They too agree with the heads of Southborough society in thinking that courses need foundations to hold conversations. They state that the school is scared to approach students’ opinions on the issue and that the school must be more comfortable with sharing perspectives, as growth occurs when students share opinions openly. They also believe that the faculty acted disappointingly, as they should have taken more steps to be involved in addressing the issue - which is due to the fact that faculty are not receiving enough training to properly involve themselves. Faculty need to do a better job at arranging opportunities to attend protest events or to call representatives of the states, as students have been asking for these things to happen but there has been no initiative. The faculty simply react rather than fixing the issues in our community. Faculty ask, what can they do to support the student body - but they should not have to ask that question. 

They also have ideas on improving the preparedness of the student body to have these conversations. The world is always changing, and if the school wants hard and difficult conversations to take place, then they need to better prepare the student body. The school currently has low expectations for those who attend the meeting versus high expectations for pathways leaders. Louise shared that, when she moderated the philosophy club debates on abortion, it was too much pressure on her as she facilitated these debates alone. There is still time left in the year for faculty to do their best.

However, they must hope that teachers are at least doing the bare minimum, as this is some of the most faculty involvement they have seen. Many faculty want to get involved, but do not have the proper training to do so. This is why the next level up is in the administration: teachers do not get extra compensation for taking time to help events, which creates a growing gap of approaching issues.

Question 2: How should debates around this topic be moderated? How should closed/open meetings work?

Even with all the different beliefs, one idea was unanimous amongst every single group that I interviewed. This idea is that closed meetings must be held PRIOR TO open meetings in order to properly process feelings in a safe, productive manner, so that open meetings can have reduced hostility. There must also be space for unmoderated discussion as well as teacher-moderated meetings. Some students revealed that they felt most comfortable after debates ended, as a small group have stayed back and had a cooled conversation where they were free to discuss on their own. However, for a large scale debate, heavy moderation by teachers is absolutely necessary.

Not a single person I interviewed disagreed with this. 

Author’s note: After I interviewed at least ten people to write this article and attended meetings that I otherwise would not even consider, I feel extremely knowledgeable and informed. I once thought that there was a half-and-half split down our community on the issue of Roe vs, Wade, but it is clear to me now that there is common ground on wanted change. Thank you to all the interviewees for sharing your ideas. 

A piece of advice I can give to others is to talk to people you disagree with. Set up a conversation with people that you think are stupid. Discuss with new people you’ve never spoken to before. That is how you become well-informed. 

In the end, our student body is one small, tight knit community. However, every single one of us is just as affected by the issues of our larger country. We have no choice but to adapt our community and revise the way that we handle ourselves.

St. Julie's: Renovations at St. Mark’s

By Julie He ‘23

Founded in 1865, St. Mark’s school boasts an impressive history as one of the oldest private boarding schools in New England. As a highly reputed institute, St. Mark’s aims to encourage students to develop their particular analytic and creative capabilities by both inspiring their academic and spiritual curiosity and kindling their passion for discovery. However, is the current administration doing its job, or is it time for change? In our current rapidly growing society, there have been many changes aimed to improve our world, so why shouldn’t St. Mark’s follow the trend? Therefore, I propose a series of developments that can be implemented at SM to foster growth and development. *Scroll to bottom for list*

First and foremost, St. Mark’s as a name is highly outdated and deserves revampment. St. Julie’s is not only chic and pleasing to the ear, but also remains inclusive and retains parts of the school’s history. According to scientific research from highly reputable sources, the proposed name will attract many more prospective students and donors as shown in the graph below. 

In addition to the name change, St. Julie’s should also update its school colors from blue and white to pink and white. All buildings, equipment, flags, windows, walls, and more should transition to this bright and lovely color. The color blue can symbolize and portray coldness, aloofness, unfriendliness and sadness. These feelings do not accurately represent JM or its students and can give off a negative connotation of our jovial and connected campus atmosphere. Pink, on the other hand, is associated with positive thoughts of youth, good health, and loveliness. Pink symbolizes passion, kindness, and understanding; embodying all that is good in the world and the students of St. Julie’s. Which attributes more correctly describe our school: coldness and sadness, or passion and understanding? This will also help SJ stand out from all the other basic and lackadaisical schools who stick with boring blue and white. Based on the same highly scientific research, statistics show some of the benefits using pink will bring to SJ. 

Transportation is often a complication at boarding schools, and St. Julie’s has a practical and fun solution to provide an efficient and safe way of travel. Students have often complained about the 10 min period in between classes due to not having enough passing time. St. Julie’s should install slides and trampolines to decrease the walking time. In case of fire, students will be able to evacuate faster and more efficiently. Students will also not have to climb 5 flights of stairs everyday and the leap will wake students up in the morning. Of course, elevators will still be available for people who are unable to use such devices. The journey between West and Main is often treacherous with dangers of drowning in West Lake, being attacked by a bear from the forest, or getting hit by a fast moving vehicle. To help prevent these problems, a zip line and ski lift should be installed. While being safe, this system will help with students running late in the morning and provide equity to west boarders who often complain about the main-campus boarder privileges. These systems provide a fast and fun way to travel, saving time and increasing student happiness.

Our classrooms and buildings also deserve renovation. Research demonstrates that students produce their best work when they are in a safe and comfortable setting. Instead of hard old chairs, we should replace them with more flexible and colorful furniture. For example, bean bags, swings, pillows are all good alternatives. Walls should be painted by students, completely whiteboards, or all glass to increase overall productivity. There should also be rooms that are with anti gravity, underwater, jungle themed, or beach themed classrooms. St. Julie’s will also revive the tradition of having dog-friendly hallways and classrooms where any dog (that is potty trained) is allowed to roam freely throughout the campus. Dogs can help lower the stress level of students and add to the school aesthetic. In addition to being practical, these equipments will also liven up the school and add spice to everyone’s lives. Not to mention, these renovations are very fun and enjoyable.

St. Julie’s should also make changes to its classes and curriculum to best fit the needs of students and the current world. More courses should be added to meet the demand of students. Some course propositions are The Art Of Procrastination; The Sociology of Taylor Swift: Race, Class, Gender, And Media; Sleeping 101; The Philosophy of Phallicism; and The Science of Maple Syrup. These courses allow students to further explore interests outside the core curriculum and develop life skills that will help them beyond the classroom. In consideration of the student's wellbeing and health, St. Julie’s would run from 10am to 5pm each day with only 2 hours of homework (or 30 min per course) allowed each night. The color blocks will also be re-designed so 80 min blocks are abolished as they are too long and humans were not evolved to sit and listen for such long periods. End of year and unit evaluations would be completed as student-chosen projects whether it be a test, presentation, creative project, or discussion. Teachers should be able to adeptly evaluate the students they have been teaching and interacting with for weeks using these methods. This will allow the student to showcase their knowledge without having to worry about time pressure and multiple choice statistics. This provides equity to students who do not perform as well under pressure but still understand the curriculum. Grades will also be replaced with the Saint Julie grading standard: F=fantastic, D=delightful, C= cool, B=bad, & A=awful. Detentions will be replaced with BC Calculus/Math classes and students will have to solve 10 problems successfully in order to get out of detention. This will lower percentage of rule-breaking by 99% according to recent statistics (done by students in detention so not sure on accuracy). 

While the 10-5 schedule may seem to affect sports-life, SJ can add more indoor sports and a variety of sports to utilize the time wisely. Nighttime sports will also be added so students can use facilities after the sun goes down. Students will be able to petition to create their own sport group provided that it does not already exist. For example, sports that can be introduced to SJ are Competitive Napping, Squirrel Racing, Quidditch, Zorbing, and Varsity Yoga. These sports will allow all students to stay fit while enjoying a hobby of their choice.

The food at SM should also change to serve potatoes 24/7. Potatoes can be made in a variety of healthy ways that all students can enjoy. Furthermore, Ice cream and Cake will be served everyday to keep students cool. A pink lemonade fountain can be installed in the cafeteria, or the main quad to make sure students are hydrated. These food choices will keep students happy and healthy. 

While SM has many celebrated traditions, SJ should provide more celebrations to be more diverse and inclusive. One that SJ can do that is inclusive and fun is the Homework Ritual. The homework ritual would be an annual day where students all tear up their homework and recycle them into more useful stuff. This is environmentally friendly for the Earth and mentally friendly for students. This will help the school students bond together as a community because of the shared burden of homework. 

With all these new changes, St. Julie’s will ensure that the students at the school are happy and healthy. It will also become a more positive community which will attract many outsiders and prospective students. Therefore, I plead that St. Mark’s takes all of the suggestions seriously and implements some of them. With these changes, St. Mark’s will become an elite institution.

Complete List of Proposed Renovations

• St. Marks->St. Julie’s

• Blue->Pink

• Trampolines and Slides to replace stairs

• Ski Lift and Zipline from west to main

• Bean Bags, pillows and swings classroom

• Painted by students, whiteboards, or all glass walls

• Anti gravity, underwater, jungle themed, or beach themed classrooms

• Dogs be allowed to roam throughout campus

• Course Propositions: The Art Of Procrastination; The Sociology of Taylor Swift: Race, Class, Gender, And Media; Sleeping 101; The Philosophy of Phallicism; and The Science of Maple Syrup

• 10am-5pm classes (no more 80min blocks)

• Under 2hr HW per day

• Students can choose whether to do a test, presentation, creative project, or discussion instead of mandatory standardized testing

• Saint Julie grading standard: F=fantastic, D=delightful, C= cool, B=bad, & A=awful.

• Detentions=Math Classes

• Sports: Competitive Napping, Squirrel Racing, Quidditch, Zorbing, and Varsity Yoga

• Potatoes and Ice cream food

• Pink lemonade fountain

• St. Mark’s Homework Ritual