Articles – Page 45 – AHS NEWSPAPER

STEM & Humanities: The Battle Continues

May 25, 2021

By Katie Budinger

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Andover High School offers nearly twice the number of STEM AP classes as it does AP classes that fall under the umbrella of English and history. Do me a favor and think about that for a moment.

The ratio is 5:9, with English and history APs making up the lower figure and a combination of math and science contributing to the other. The science department alone offers six different AP classes, which is more than English and history combined. Unless you are an upperclassman who has a passion for the humanities, you might not have even noticed this disparity; I had to go through next year’s course catalogue in order to obtain the numbers to support such a statement.

One of the things that makes AHS great is that we have so many classes available to us; there is something for everyone! This becomes especially apparent when it comes time for course selections, especially to rising juniors and seniors who are delving into the world of APs and other upperclassmen courses that open up as requirements loosen their hold.

“There are all sorts of interesting courses that we offer,” said guidance counselor Heather Dwyer. “You don’t necessarily have to have an AP designation for the course to be rigorous and really interesting.”

The real problem arises when you find what you love and want to completely submerge yourself in one particular field.

“I’ve always been a reader, and I’ve always been a writer, and that’s just where my interests lie. I just find history and language a lot more interesting than equations and numbers and atoms,” said one junior, who is currently going through the process of selecting courses for their Senior year. They have an interest in taking AP Literature & Composition, Senior Capstone, and Multiple Identities in Text, all of which are classes with English credits attached, thus meaning that they would receive three English credits towards their graduation requirements. “I’m fulfilling all my requirements, so I feel like that shouldn’t be a problem. I feel like I should be able to pursue that if that is an available option…. There’s no such thing as too many humanities!”

Meanwhile, Senior Erin Currie is living a very similar route by taking three, full-year classes in the sciences. Much more comfortable with the S in STEM—“TEM kind of scares me,” she admits—Currie opted to take Marine Biology, Anatomy and Physiology, and Forensic Science her senior year.

When asked about the process of fitting all three courses into her schedule, Currie said, “I was talking to my guidance counselor about this and she was telling me, ‘Don’t expect to get them all. List alternatives. There’s like an 80% chance,’ she said, ‘of getting two, a very low chance of getting all three,’ so she told me to prepare to not get all three.” Currie knew her chances were slim, but decided to try her luck with the system, which her guidance counselor had no issue with. “I did get all three…. It was a funky process.”

However, the Junior currently deep in the selection process has had a very different experience. “[My guidance counselor] literally said that I might not be able to take that many English classes,” they said.

Now, perhaps my own judgement is a bit clouded, since I had the exact same experience as this Junior. When I tried to take three English courses, I was told that it was, without a doubt, impossible. Why is it, then, that in a different department Currie is able to take the same amount of science courses? Perhaps her guidance counselor was more open to the idea than some, or less worried about what college might think.

“Over my years of being a guidance counselor– which is going on seventeen– we have a lot of communication with college admissions officers and representatives… and really the consistent message is that they don’t want a student really ‘majoring’ in a particular subject in high school,” Dwyer said. She encourages students who want to pursue an academic niche to find ways outside of the classroom, such as clubs.

Senior Olivia Ventre, who plans to major in English in college, has found a different way to further explore her love of English. Her Senior Capstone project focuses on women and diversity in literature, but she hasn’t taken nearly as many humanities classes as she might have liked. “I’ve never really had room on my schedule,” Ventre admitted. “It never really seemed like an option for me. It wasn’t that my guidance counselor was like, ‘No!’”

You might be wondering what any of this has to do with the numbers I threw out early on, but it all boils down to the same problem. It’s the elephant that no one seems willing to acknowledge, and yet it’s in the room. It’s the reason that we have more STEM APs than humanities, and that one student can take three classes while the other’s request is refused. The superiority of STEM in our society has bled over into the AHS system, leaving the Humanities at a disadvantage.

When asked if students tended toward one discipline or the other, Dwyer observed, “Year to year we have a bit of everything, but within my last five to six years I’ve seen a lot of students focusing on STEM.”

This disparity is evident in the fact that the College Board only offers two English APs (both of which AHS offers). However, there are a total of nine history APs available, only three of which will be available next year, compared to the twelve math and science APs, of which we offer nine. If enough students came forwards and vehemently expressed interest in these courses, Dwyer seemed to believe that it would be possible to add more APs as long as they did not overburden teachers. She also emphasized that AP courses are not the be all and end all, but they do very clearly show how our society tends toward STEM and leaves the humanities in the lurch.

If you disagree, then chalk up this column as the rant of a bitter Senior who wanted to spend her senior year writing and reading as much as possible before going to college to do the same thing: write and read. All I ask is that you don’t dismiss me as a complete conspiracy theorist and go forth into the academic world with your eyes wide open.

Articles Arts

Swift Drops Two Albums: Folklore and Evermore

March 26, 2021

By Camille Storch

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

A musical icon for our generation, Taylor Swift has certainly made a long-lasting impression whether you are a fan or not. From her first country album, Taylor Swift, to currently releasing two back-to-back studio albums, Folklore, Evermore, and everything in between, Swift has been a prominent figure in music for almost 15 years.

Last July, Swift released Folklore and the surprise shook the world. A quick piece of advice if you are not a “Swiftie,” Swift normally goes dormant on all social media about a month before releasing some sort of announcement. Per usual, Swift’s last instagram post before the big announcement was mid-June, more than a month prior, yet no one seemed to notice, distracted by the chaos of Miss Rona herself. The album was released 11 months after Swift’s previous album Lover, an upbeat, pop album with hidden romance messages to her real-life lover, British actor Joe Alwyn.

PROMOTIONAL PHOTO/ Disney Plus
Taylor Swift in the process of recording Folklore, captured in Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions. This was a documentary concert film released on Disney Plus that delved into how Taylor Swift’s album Folklore was created and contained performances of each of the songs it contained.

So, what is Folklore and why is it such a big deal in Swift’s music career? I’ll tell you why. The album is composed of 16 original tracks, all composed by Swift, longtime collaborator Jack Antinoff, Aaron Dessner, and William Bowery (pen name for Alwyn), and all written through “phase one” of quarantine. When I first saw the album cover, I had no clue what genre of music was going to be included. With a black and white color scheme, Swift is pictured alone in a forest, surrounded by trees, giving off an aura of mystery and suspense.

Now, you may be wondering, what about that other album?

Last November, Swift released another surprise for fans called “Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions” on Disney Plus. This included Swift, Antinoff, and Dessner in a recording studio tucked away in upstate New York, playing through the whole album, acoustically, but most importantly, together, as they recorded the entire album in separate studios due to COVID.

So, fans were shocked when the announcement came that ANOTHER album was being released that night at midnight! How much Taylor content can we handle? I needed a couple months to recover and digest Folklore, another album??

Evermore is the sister album to folklore and follows a similar pattern, with 15 original songs, all exploring different genres, no two songs the same. In Swift’s announcement on social media, her reasoning was “we just couldn’t stop writing songs. To try and put it more poetically, it feels like we were standing on the edge of the folklorian woods and had a choice: to turn and go back or to travel further into the forest of this music.” Similar to Folklore, Evermore follows the same pattern where Swift is not only creating songs based on her own experience but off those of her friends, family, and fictional characters from movies and books.

Out of a survey of 77 people, some AHS students included, 57 percent of the votes (44 people) chose that Folklore was their favorite album over Evermore, while 43 percent of the votes (33 people) chose Evermore over Folklore. It is interesting that it was almost a tie between the two albums which leads one to infer that these “sister” albums are truly “related” in the sense that they are of a similar genre, similar perspective, and finally, equally appreciated by Swift’s audience.

Top Five Responses For Favorite Taylor Swift Songs

#1: All Too Well

#2: Betty

#3: Love Story

#4: Champagne Problems

#5: You Belong With Me

Folklore

The songs in this album span from cheery and uplifting, to evoking a slow tear to nonchalantly stream it’s way down your face.

Here are my top three:

“August”: This romantic tune brings us back to the simple joys of summertime along with all of the spontaneous secrets and excursions we partake in during the summer months. Throughout Folklore, Swift depicts a love triangle that appears in at least three of her songs, more if you look for hidden Easter eggs. “August” is told through the perspective of “the other girl” and allows the listener to see through the lens of the girl who knew she was disrupting a relationship, yet developed true feelings for her lover. She has developed a sense of hope that maybe he will leave his girlfriend for her, with lyrics such as, “Remember when I pulled up and said ‘Get in the car’ and then canceled my plans just in case you’d call? Back when I was livin’ for the hope of it all, for the hope of it all, ‘Meet me behind the mall.’” She’s reaffirming this longing to be chosen over the right and moral choice.
“Exile”: In this heart-wrenching song is a duet with the gravelly, soulful voice of Bon Iver (Justin Vernon), two ex’s look back on their past relationship. The palpable bittersweet and complicated feelings hang in the air. The male voice refers to the woman as “his town,” while she refers to him as “her crown,” both stating they feel they’ve been put “in exile” from these places since their relationship has ended. There are also conflicting messages on how it all ended with Vernon’s character saying that “You never gave a warning sign,” while Swift sings that “I gave so many signs..you didn’t even see the signs.” It’s left up to the listener to decide who’s eyes they best see the perspective of the relationship through.
“My Tears Ricochet”: Starting off slowly with a chorus of voices, you are serenaded by a church choir, and then Swift’s voice joins in, a subtle tone, sadness and disappointment seeping through her lyrics. This particular song was written about Swift’s experience with Scott Borchetta and Scooter Braun, owners of her previous record label who decided to hold rights to five of Swift’s eight albums, technically becoming the owners of her music. The lyrics, “You wear the same jewels that I gave you, As you bury me,” further reinforce the anger behind these two wealthy, arrogant men taking credit for all of Swift’s hard work and success.

My runner ups:

“The Last Great American Dynasty”: Swift gives insight into the lavish lifestyle of the previous owner of her Rhode Island mansion, Rebecca Harkness, who named the home, Holiday House. Fun Fact: Holiday House is right on the water in Watch Hill, RI, and can be ogled at if you choose to go visit.
“The 1”: The opening track is fun and bouncy, with Swift taking a positive outlook on life, despite acknowledging she and her past love could have been soulmates.

Evermore

I would say that Evermore takes on more of a serious, hurt tone, but there are still some hidden gems with funny Easter egg meanings.

Here are my top three:

“Champagne Problems”: This song has been applied to many different celebrity couples and even more so, to tv show characters who people believed were meant to be together in the long run. “Champagne Problems” is a sad ballad pointing out the reality of the right person, wrong time. The most resounding application of this song has been to the novel and now movie, Little Women. The lyrics, “One for the money, two for the show, I never was ready, so I watch you go, Sometimes you just don’t know the answer, ‘Til someone’s on their knees and asks you,” perfectly fit in the puzzle with the friendship, could-have-been marriage, between Jo and Laurie, where Jo wasn’t ready to settle down when Laurie wanted, and then when she was Laurie had already moved on. These “champagne problems” that Swift refers to are the hidden fears of committing and being real with yourself and those you surround yourself with.
“Gold rush”: This upbeat jingle addresses Swift’s desire to express her feelings to someone who everyone loves and everyone is attracted to. The metaphor of a “gold rush” is used in the context that there are so many people who want this desired person that she would just be another face in the crowd, lost in the frenzy. The meaning of the song doesn’t quite take precedence though over the actual music. The song begins in another choir-like voice, the words “gleaming” and “twinkling” stretched out, before the beat drops and it slips into a quick pattern. When Swift begins questioning herself, the song shifts into an angelic background, before returning to the quick beat as she day-dreams about this majestic person.
“No Body, No Crime”: This is yet another song I will add to my “Swift’s Vehicle Manslaughter” folder. Previous Swift songs that live in this folder include “Getaway Car”, “I Know Places”, “Style, “Out of the Woods”, “I Did Something Bad”, and more. This song follows the story of Swift’s friend, Este, who confides in Taylor that she is suspicious her husband is cheating on her. Este can’t prove it, but she has a strong feeling. When Este goes missing, Swift begins to take notice of the husband’s every move, from his new truck, his new mistress, and more, since Este is dead. Swift believes that the husband killed Este, but she “just can’t prove it.” In the end, Swift sings, “Good thing my daddy made me get a boating license when I was fifteen, And I’ve cleaned enough houses to know how to cover up a scene,” allowing the listener to infer that Swift murdered the husband. Good story line, good tune, horrible tragedy.

My runner ups:

“Coney Island”: Swift reflects on past relationships, and if you are a true Swifite, you can dissect the lyrics to know which ex she is talking about. Hint, at least three are mentioned.
”Tis the Damn Season”: A reunion between high school lovers, a bit of aggression from Swift, really solid musical composition.

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To Switch or Not to Switch

March 26, 2021

Students Express Pros and Cons of Hybrid and Remote Academy Changes at AHS

By Naomi Bloom

STAFF WRITER

Some AHS students have switched between remote and hybrid learning for a myriad of reasons, and the majority of those interviewed (aka, the Switchers) were happy with their choices. However, getting students switched is a complicated process that not everyone can work with.

“The process of switching instructional modes is very complex from a scheduling perspective,” said Assistant Principal Scott Darlington, adding that many students requested a switch, but with a limited amount of space in the classroom, it was difficult to process everyone’s requests.

For example, senior Alana Miller didn’t get to switch from hybrid to remote. She was concerned about school safety in regards to COVID-19 and because of stress as well. She also mentioned the transitions between in-class and at-home days within hybrid have been “extremely hard on students and teachers.”

Miller told ANDOVERVIEW that in order to switch, one has to be “extremely proactive and fight to get switched.” She even thinks the school was making the process a difficult one in an attempt to dissuade students from trying to switch from one type of instruction to another.

However, Darlington explained the process itself has been much more difficult than expected. This is because in the fall, many more requests to switch were accepted, so as a result, there is very little room for new people to switch now.

“We are following a district process in determining who can switch instructional modes,” he said. “[In] many cases, it just depends if there is space in the same type of class as in the other instructional mode.”

Aside from Miller, the other four Switchers interviewed by ANDOVERVIEW were able to make changes at the end of term two. They all had rather smooth transitions and were all happy with their new learning model. Sophomore Angela McNeely said that during her switch to remote, she only had to change one of her electives and that everything else went as planned. Her switch to remote from hybrid “feels really refreshing” so far.

Santiago Montez, a freshman who switched to the remote learning, said that while there are the pros and cons of each instructional mode, both are still good. For example, he missed hybrid because you get to be around people in class, but he liked remote because it’s safer and he added his teachers in remote are better with technology, as they have had to use it more.

For those of you who are looking to switch if there is an upcoming opportunity, here are some tips for switching:

Sophomore Alison Dalton, who switched to remote, said the experience of switching can vary from person to person, but students should try to switch to the option that allows them to stay more motivated.

Senior Isabella Gervais, who switched to hybrid, said that while “school is school” and there will always be times that get stressful, it’s important to “make sure that you are doing the best for your mental and physical safety.” She also said students will have support from their teachers and friends, so there’s no reason to be afraid to try to switch.

STAFF PHOTO/ Erin Li
Senior Isabella Gervais studying on her computer during in person H-Block.

In addition, Darlington told ANDOVERVIEW that students who are switching will need to use a support team of their guidance counselor, teachers, parents, and their assistant principal, if needed, to help with the switch. “Learning remotely full time is very different from in-person hybrid learning,” he said. “[They] may require different strategies for students to organize their school work and time.”

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Andover Coffee Recommendations

March 26, 2021

By Camille Storch

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Lorelai Gilmore once said: “I can’t stop drinking the coffee, I stop drinking coffee, I stop doing the standing, and the walking, and the words-putting-into-sentences doing.” For many high school students, coffee is a necessity to make it through the school week. Whether it’s the rush of sugar that comes in the form of caramel swirl at Dunkin, or the bitter taste of black cold brew at Starbucks, the boost of caffeine each morning has become a regular staple of many students’ routines.

While many students might not drink as much coffee as in the once hit TV show, “Gilmore Girls,” (Lorelai drinks at least six cups of black coffee per day), they have become hooked and have developed personal preferences for how they take their coffee each morning. Non-dairy milk has been around for a long time, with almond milk becoming increasingly popular in the early 2000s, but it has since become a popular trend and preference for many coffee consumers, even if they’re not allergic to dairy. That being said, a splash of almond milk or oat milk in a student’s morning coffee was the most popular response to how they take their coffee. The almond milk comes in various flavors, with leading brand AlmondBreeze carrying staples such as Original, Vanilla, Chocolate, Coconut, and Cashew. Other brands carry more intricate flavors such as Califia Farms, a Californian brand that carries flavors such as Toasted Almond, Toasted Oat, Maple Caramel, Pumpkin Spice, and more. Who wouldn’t be interested in a Maple Caramel milk?

Oat milk has also been on the rise in popularity, as a more eco-friendly alternative to almond milk. Did you know that it takes 960 gallons of water to make one gallon of almond milk? Almond milk definitely has a larger water footprint than oat milk, which uses enzymes to break down the oat and then strain out the insoluble fibers. Neat, right?

The classic addition of cream and sugar was another popular response on what to add to coffee, or as we New Englanders call it, a “regular” coffee. AHS sophomore Davina Hallak recommended ordering an iced white mocha with sweet cream foam, an example of a more intricate, yet delicious drink. A recent trend on popular social media app, TikTok, has been to order extremely intricate and complicated drinks from Starbucks or Dunkin that have 10 million ingredients in them and then do a live taste test. Two examples of these complex orders include an iced cinnamon dolce latte made upside down with coconut milk, and an iced brown sugar oat milk shaken espresso with light ice, two pumps sugar free vanilla, and sweet cream cold foam. I might be out of the loop, but since when were drinks made upside down? What is the difference between shaken espresso and a basic shot of espresso?

The common debate between Dunkin and Starbucks has been a long-standing competition, but Andover has a couple other local cafes that offer coffee that easily competes with both of the two big chains. Here are my reviews and recommendations:

Dunkin

Dunkin, or Dunks as I call it, was founded here in Massachusetts, with the original store located in Quincy. Known for their donuts and coffee, Dunkin is a good option for sweet and cheap coffee. At a price standpoint, a medium iced coffee is $2.49 and a medium hot coffee is $1.89, significantly cheaper than other local competitors. They offer two different types of flavoring, swirls and shots. Swirls are more creamy and sweet, made by condensed sweet milk, while the shots are unsweetened and sugar free. The original blend is mediocre in my opinion, not super strong, and hard to taste especially when you add in a cream/milk and/or a flavor, yet the Dunkin dark roast has risen on my favorite list. It’s strong enough where you can taste the coffee flavor, but not too bitter.

Price: $

My recommendation: Medium iced dark roast w/ pumpkin swirl and a splash of almond milk

Starbucks

Ahh, Starbucks, the classic. Starbucks has many quality drinks to choose from, ranging from various blends of coffee to their popular refreshers. In my opinion, the strength and overall quality of Starbucks coffee is quite elevated in comparison to Dunkin, yet for high school students, quality might not reign over sugar and price. In a survey of 114 people, 60 percent voted for Dunkin over Starbucks, a clear difference (22 people) in preference. For hot coffee, you can’t go wrong with the Pike Place blend, a nice, smooth dark roast. Starbucks also offers both cold brew and nitro cold brew on tap, a type of coffee where the ground beans are soaked overnight, or for at least 12 hours, creating a super smooth (and highly caffeinated, might I add) coffee. Pricewise, Starbucks is extremely expensive, in my opinion, for the size that you get. I agree with paying more for better quality, but a medium-sized coffee (significantly less than a Dunkin medium) is at least $3.65, and that is plain black.

Price: $$$

My recommendation:

Hot: Pike place with a splash of almond milk (or cream), Latte with one pump of Hazelnut (made with almond milk)

Iced: Nitro cold brew with light ice, salted caramel cold foam on top.

Caffè Nero

Caffè Nero is a worldwide coffee chain and probably the best spot in town if you want to grab great coffee and spend the day working or studying at a cute cafe. Nero is consistently busy, so prepare to wait in a small line, but remember the end result is totally worth the wait. The quality of the food and drinks is top notch, with delicious baked goods and sandwiches to accompany your drink of choice. The coffee itself isn’t too bitter or too watery, I would say that it is the perfect inbetween. Be warned, the cold brew is dangerously caffeinated and I find myself shaking with jitters for hours after consumption, but it tastes delicious. You truly cannot go wrong, whether you are in the mood for a comforting hot chocolate, piled high with whipped cream and mini marshmallows, or if you want a fancy shmancy latte with a pretty little design left on top. The ambience inside only adds to the experience!

Price: $$$

My recommendation:

Hot: Hot chocolate (a classic, can never go wrong)

Iced: Iced vanilla latte made with oat milk

Ultimate Perk

I will make an assumption and say Perk would be the fan favorite for AHS students, and I think that if you attended school and studied each plastic coffee cup, the majority of them would be covered in the Perk logo. Mainly staffed by past and present AHS students themselves, Perk is a nice little shop that offers surprisingly good coffee, specifically their flavored coffees. Now, you may be thinking that by “flavored,” I mean adding some sugary syrup, but no. Perk has many different flavored roasts, some year round, some seasonal that help separate Perk from the other Andover coffee shops. From caramel nut crunch to brownie batter to pumpkin, Perk has it all, and most importantly, you can actually taste the flavor, even in a simple black coffee, no additives necessary. In a survey of AHS students, more than 50 percent voted for Perk when asked for the best coffee in all of Andover, a sign that it is a clear favorite for students.

Price: $$

My recommendations:

Iced medium cinnamon sticky bun (black)

Medium iced/hot vanilla latte with oat milk

STAFF PHOTO/ Camille Storch
Junior Karen Phung enjoys a nice refreshing iced cinnamon sticky bun coffee from Ultimate Perk, as she rings in the warm weather.

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Concerns About Fully In-Person School – Student Opinions

March 26, 2021

By Shravya Sathi

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

How do you feel about going back to AHS in person five days a week? Explain.

As younger students have begun going back to school four days a week, many AHS students have started talking about whether or not they are comfortable with the idea of going back to full in-person or not. In a recent poll on Instagram of 123 AHS students, 74 (60 percent) decided they would not opt in for full in-person school if they were given the choice, while 49 (40 percent) said they would.

“I am for full in-person because I learn a lot better when I am at school and in a classroom rather than at home. When we are remote I tend to use my phone, not pay attention, and fall behind on school work. I also like being able to see my friends and teachers at school because I have a better mindset then I generally do at home, where it is harder to be productive.”
– Saima Rahman

“I don’t believe we should go back to school full in-person. Already with the hybrid model, students walk far too close to one another in the hallways and don’t maintain social distancing. Going back to school full-time will inevitably lead to a surge in cases and it should be our responsibility as a community to try our best to limit the spread of COVID-19. Plus, finding a safe lunch plan will be difficult, and the traffic after school will be a nightmare. The hybrid model works fine so I don’t see any reason why a full in-person model would be beneficial. We all have to make short term sacrifices to ensure the long-term safety of our community.”
– Owen Chen

“I’m for in-person learning. Since it’s easier to communicate with teachers and receive help on homework assignments or quizzes. It’s much easier to interact with other students when we have projects and participating in class is much easier. It also allows me to see a few of my friends in a safe controlled environment.”
– Hanna Saad

“I am for it because we cannot trade out mental health.”
– Caroline Pritchard

“I’m against full in person because I don’t think we are ready for it, and it’s still really dangerous to even go in when the cases are still really bad. It’s only going to get worse when there are more people in the school, and it’s going to be harder to keep track if everyone is following the COVID-19 guidelines. I think that we should wait until it’s safer, especially when we are able to do remote learning.”
– Riley Caruso

“I don’t prefer in-person as the pandemic has still not decreased significantly. Students now have adapted more to the hybrid schedule at our school and also learning from home keeps students and teachers safe from greater spread of the coronavirus. The school has shut down two times due to the virus being spread around school and it will most likely occur again after February break. In terms of safety, I prefer to learn from home.”
– Harini Sibi

“I am for full in person for a better learning experience and being with people I normally wouldn’t be able to see. I think that the current thing we got in place is doing a pretty good job at preventing the spread of COVID.”
– Brandon Zhao

STAFF PHOTO/ Erin Li
A view of the crowded hallways as Cohort A students in walk to and from class. The lack
of space in the school is a large concern to many students and parents when considering
returning to fully in-person school.

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AHS Parents’ Opinion On Full In-Person

March 26, 2021

By Shravya Sathi

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

As Andover Public Schools move into Stage 2 of reopening, AHS parents have different opinions on the transition and ideas on how to implement more in-person time.

Even though finding a system that works well for everyone will be close to impossible, it is important to remember “the teachers and AHS staff and administrators have been very dedicated to the students,” said Dr. Elizabeth Lentini.

There is no debate that hybrid-remote learning has negatively affected students. From the decrease in social interaction to the decrease in exercise, there are many effects on students. Lentini told ANDOVERVIEW that students “are often feeling down and isolated, and doing high school from their bedrooms has been emotionally very difficult. The limited social connections on a regular weekly basis have been the hardest part of the pandemic for them.”

Kamal Tiku, parent of a junior, added that, “I can see how my child has become increasingly distracted and completing each assignment takes more time because their focus level is changing.”

STAFF PHOTO/ / Katie Budinger
Students walking into the Dunn Gym for lunch.

In addition to harmful mental effects, parents have felt that remote days, especially in the hybrid model, are disengaging.

“As a parent, I can see a difference in [my son’s] attitude and enthusiasm when it comes to school on his in-person days as opposed to remote days,” said Rhonda Musikar-Rosner, a parent of an AHS student and a previous Medford counselor for 14 years. “What I do see is that on remote days, he is most engaged when the teacher is live and he can engage with his classmates; if the day is totally asynchronous, he is often complaining he is bored with school and feels unchallenged. When he attends in-person, he leaves school with a smile under that mask.”

While everyone has the best interest of their students, there is an array of opinions for the push for in-person school at AHS. Some parents are all for full in-person school, yet many are still uncomfortable with the idea.

These reasons include the small classroom sizes, large number of COVID-19 cases, and overcrowded classrooms. The number one constraint being the current guidelines of six feet of distance between students during eating. Some parents are already uncomfortable with the idea, as even in the hybrid model, certain guidelines are not being strictly enforced, including slipping masks and certain classes in which the teachers are allowing students to move around the classroom.

Parents express they need to see more teachers and students vaccinated before they feel safe sending their children back full time.

“If teachers and staff who want a vaccine can be vaccinated and students (currently 16 and above, and hopefully soon 12 years and above) are vaccinated then full in-person school should not be a risk to the community,” Lentini said. “There is significant immunity generated within two weeks of the first dose of the vaccine.”

STAFF PHOTO/ Erin Li
Cohort A students leaving school at the end of the day. There is often gatherings of student groups in the lobby and outside after school.

Parents interviewed by ANDOVERVIEW are pushing for more in-person school and agree that while AHSl presents many unique challenges to getting students back full-time, planning and finding creative ways should begin now with the collaboration of parents, administration, staff, teachers, and the School Committee.

“I hope the school district considers using Wednesdays for in-person hybrid student learning this spring,” Lentini said,” Other neighboring school districts have been successful using Wednesdays for in-person hybrid learning. This would increase student in-person learning time and still adhere to guidelines this spring.”

Musikar-Rosner suggestions included the testing of students and staff, following safety protocols, reducing the six feet guideline to three feet wherever possible, and encouraging the use of satellite buildings.

“Perhaps if they went back to the old way of subbing…it may help with the coverage of classrooms,” she said, adding that previously, the protocol allowed for more temporary or part-time substitute teachers, in addition to the permanent subs. Subs were able to browse openings and sign up at any of the buildings on a particular day, and switch from building to building throughout the week. However, the current subbing protocol calls for subs that are committed all five days to one, specific building. Many subs can no longer sub this year because they only work part-time or have to be home with their own children.

While we would all like school to resume as normal, as Musikar-Rosner said, “[We] would like it to be done in a way that is safe for both the students and the staff.”

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Introducing: The Good, Bad, and Ugly Experiences With VHS

March 26, 2021

By Elisabeth Shin

STAFF WRITER

In a year where digital learning is the norm, the Virtual High School (VHS) program has been a common sight on many AHS student schedules

When certain classes can be difficult to take in remote learning or through the hybrid model, VHS is now the go-to opportunity to take such classes. ANDOVERVIEW takes a look at student experiences, this semester and last, to some advice for VHS students in future years.

“I personally feel like we are teaching ourselves,” said Dia Ganesh, a sophomore who’s currently taking a VHS class in Java programming.

According to Ganesh, most of the learning is asynchronous. She and the other students learn from the lessons they are given every Wednesday, and they can ask questions of the teacher through a discussion post on the site.

“My teacher nitpicks everything,” she said, adding her issues with the grading in VHS. “I got a 90 on an assignment for forgetting to specify one word. She’s [the teacher] a really tough grader.”

Sophomore Avanthika Suryadevara does not hold the same sentiments towards grading, telling ANDOVERVIEW that she’s “been doing the bare minimum and I’ve been getting 100s.”

But she does have her own concerns. Specifically, one topic was the teaching of Alice 3 in her VHS Java class. Alice 3 is a program that allows one to utilize objects, or computer-generated models that can be moved around in a virtual world.

“The software is old,” Suryadevara said, adding that “I understand where we are going with it as it builds into Java. However, I am concerned that I am not getting the [same] exact material [that I would] if we were in school.”

On the other hand, sophomore Abhinav Bapanalli had a more positive view of the program: “The workload is tight, but it is interesting in what we are doing.”

For all three sophomores, VHS is a relatively new experience. While they agreed the actual tasks/work materials they had received so far was not overwhelming, the amount they had to do each week was high.

The students who took VHS in the first semester mostly agreed with some of the sentiments above. For senior Meera Kumar, her “first semester was all right overall” in AP Psychology and she got through the course well by keeping good contact with her digital classmates and staying on top of her work.

Senior David Irza had a less favorable opinion of his first semester with VHS in the Remote Academy. Taking two classes in physics and engineering, Irza had trouble asking questions and getting help on problems during his physics course and faced technical issues late into his engineering class. This led to unfavorable grades and his sour experience with the system.

On the other hand, David’s sister, sophomore Rachel Irza said her experience in the VHS course on cybersecurity was successful.

“I think the only reason I was successful in my VHS course was because I truly enjoyed learning about the topic of cybersecurity,” she said. “I would advise [students] to fully understand that there will be a large amount of work that is very time consuming.”

COURTESY PHOTO/ Manavi Vajhallya
VHS Student, Manavi Vajhallya, working on an assignment for the remote academy at
her desk.

Manavi Vajhallya, a sophomore who started VHS in the second semester, advised students to keep up with their work by checking the website daily. Kumar also had tips on getting to know your class.

“My advice would be to establish a line of communication between yourself and your classmates…you can easily get help and feel more connected to your class,” she said.

For Vajhallya, she has optimistic beliefs for the future of her VHS learning: “I’m hoping it gets better; this is the second week!”

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Andover Pushes To Reopen Schools

March 26, 2021

By Shravya Sathi

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

As the numbers decrease and the vaccine rolls out, many have begun asking the question: When are we going back to full in-person school?

There has been much communication between the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), Interim Superintendent Dr. Claudia Bach, School Committee, and the principals to encourage and put forth more in-person learning at Andover Public Schools.

Principals and staff have been tasked with brainstorming ways to overcome the challenges in their respective schools. The representatives from the district have been meeting with the Commissioner to explain how the guidelines restrict more in-person learning. Together, the Andover community has been working to figure out ways to get more in-person time.

January 21

The School Committee sent a letter to Gov. William Baker and Commissioner Jeffrey Riley that highlighted some challenges: “We cannot fit substantially more students into Andover schoolhouses without violating the health and safety rules set by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) in conjunction with public health experts. Andover is also faced with issues in the areas of staff and transportation capacity,” said Shannon Scully, Andover School Committee chairperson. In addition, this letter pushed for more financial support for the public schools to avoid overcrowding, encouraged vaccinating teachers and staff, and called for increased capability for transportation services.

February 1

Bach sent an email to the APS Community outlining the three stages. Any changes to the current systems need to be proposed before the School Committee and approved. APS is currently in Stage 1 which allows students to remain with the current Hybrid and Remote Academy. Since Andover continues to be a yellow zone, schools have begun planning small increases for more in-person learning.

As an effort to move into Stage 2, Bach asked principals to work with staff and brainstorm ways to incorporate more in-person time: “Each level, each group of principals, is working with teachers and other staff to ask, ‘What can we do?”

February 25

The implementation of Stage 2 occurred at this School Committee meeting. “We [brought] a proposal to the School Committee to bring back, four days a week, full in-person learning, Kindergarten and 1st grade, in all of the schools,” said Bach, adding that this took hours of work from all the elementary school principals and staff. She reflected the “biggest problem is not really the matter of bringing students back full time, but it’s the undoing of the things we’ve done to begin moving from all virtual and into the hybrid.” One of the things that really helped this transition was the commissioner said three feet distancing in the classroom was adequate.

COURTESY PHOTO/ Alison Phelan
A headshot of the Interim Superintendent, Claudia Bach.

March 1

Specifically at AHS, the field house was being used to vaccinate people on Wednesdays. However, the state determined the doses would be sent to larger cities rather than the local areas. As written on the Andover.gov website, “this means the Town of Andover will not be hosting first dose clinics locally after March .” Due to this, at the high school, “Ms. Brown will have a slightly better plan that she can put forward because she will have access all week long to the fieldhouse,” said Bach, adding that “the three most important groups in all of this– the teachers, students, and parents– all want this to happen. I think we will do whatever we can.”

March 9

Commissioner Riley sent out a memo outlining the timeline for the new requirements of full in-person learning. Elementary schools are required to switch to full-in person on Monday, April 5, 2021, and middle schools are to be back Wednesday, April 28, 2021. For the high schools, state officials will announce the date for return in April and the districts will have at least two weeks to implement the change. According to DESE’s website, full-in person means that “all structured learning time hours (on average 5 hours per day of structured learning time at the elementary level and 5.5 hours per day at the secondary level) are required to be delivered in-person, five days per week.” In addition, a remote learning model will be provided till the end of this school year, for those who prefer this option. There are also waivers issued by the state on a case-by-case basis in order to go back to or to stay in the hybrid model. To add on, DESE mandated three feet distances between desks that are facing the same direction, as opposed to the six feet distance. Pooled testing, a state-funded program that began in February, is another option for schools to screen larger numbers of students and staff.

Standardized Testing + COVID = Unnecessary

March 26, 2021

With all of the chaos of this school year, standardized tests such as AP exams and MCAS are just another hurdle to overcome. However, the fact that many of these tests are being crammed into the same month is unnecessary; students are already burnt out after all of the challenges of hybrid and remote learning, and having to take multiple tests within mere days of one another is excessive.

It was initially proposed that MCAS requirements ought to be waived for this year, on account of the abnormal circumstances. Since this decision was rescinded, AP tests have been rescheduled in order to accommodate MCAS testing; in simpler terms, tests are being moved to make way for more tests. If MCAS was able to be forgiven for this year in the first place, then there is no reason that this decision should not hold.

Trying to force this many exams on students within the same time frame has the potential to be disastrous on many fronts, which is why we believe one test should be addressed at a time. Deal with the AP exams first, subtract out this year’s MCAS from the equation and try again next year.

The Great Debate: Tea Vs. Coffee

March 26, 2021

A long-standing and heated debate among beverage drinkers, the superiority of one over the other has yet to be proven. Friendships have been broken, wars have been fought– okay, perhaps… not quite, but people certainly tend to have strong opinions when it comes to whether or not we prefer to soak beans or leaves in our water.

Among the ANDOVERVIEW staff, tea reigns supreme over coffee. The majority of us enjoy the soothing variety of blends that tea has to offer, especially as a mellow way to start off an early day or wind down at night while writing articles. Oftentimes, the overload of caffeine accompanied by coffee turns out to be “too much for our old people bodies,” though one of us is apparently young enough internally to handle all that (we’re looking at you, Camille).

Yet, the right kind of coffee, with a specific brew and individualized blend of add-ons, can be very enjoyable! We have nothing against the taste of a well-brewed cup of coffee, but would rather not die of caffeine-induced heart attacks before we get to college.