The new social media app to take in-the-moment pictures, BeReal, has become increasingly popular with students at AHS.
Students ranging from freshmen to seniors are using the app. BeReal is frequently compared to other social media apps such as Snapchat and Instagram, in which you take pictures, share, and post. However, on platforms like Instagram, people only post what they want others to see, which a lot of the time means edited and filtered photos and videos. The reason BeReal has gotten so popular with students is because “you take a picture that’s unedited or anything, it’s like be-real; you can’t make any edits,” said Aneesa Hazarika, a freshman who uses BeReal. As the app name suggests, users are being real by capturing the moment they are in without changing anything.
Vivian Tang, a senior who has heard of BeReal said, “[The] connection that they get with other people whenever they post pictures… it’s a really good way to show people ‘Oh I’m doing this.’ I think that’s the feature that everyone likes about it.”
Every day, users take one picture at a certain time depending on their timezone. The main point of the app is for users to share what they are doing in the moment with others. This new idea is one of the main reasons that BeReal is gaining popularity. There is also an interesting concept for capturing photos: you can take your daily photo using both the front and back camera. In the My Friends tab, users can see previous photos in a memory album and your friends’ posts. In the Discovery tab, people can also see posts from people from all around the world or their friends’, as well as comment with pictures or emojis on them.
As a new app, there are still many things that could be changed or added. “I can definitely see it being developed in the future, maybe becoming more global, and more people will download it over the next few years as people get more familiar with it,” Tang said.
The 2022 Massachusetts election will be held Tuesday, November 8. If you or anyone you know is eligible to vote but are unsure what all the questions on the ballot mean, this article is here to help.
District 3: Lori Trahan (D, incumbent), Dean Tran (R)
District 6: Seth Moulton (D, incumbent), Robert May Jr. (R)
MA Governor
Candidates: Maura Healey (D), Geoff Diehl (R), Kevin Reed (L)
Lieutenant Governor
The lieutenant governor takes over for the governor in case they become unable to serve as governor before their term ends. The lieutenant governor is also part of the Massachusetts Governor’s Council, which provides advice to the governor and approves things such as judicial nominations.
Candidates: Kim Driscoll (D), Leah Cole Allen (R), Peter Everett (L)
Attorney General
The attorney general is the executive officer of Massachusetts. This individual is the chief law enforcement officer and lawyer, and runs the five departments of the attorney general’s office: executive, business/labor protection, government, and public protection.
Candidates: Andrea Campbell (D), James McMahon (R)
Secretary of State
The secretary of state is the head public information official of Massachusetts. They oversee historical preservation, historical records, public records, and the registry of deeds (where records of land and real estate deals are housed). They also head elections.
Candidates: William Galvin (D, incumbent), Rayla Campbell (R), Juan Sanchez (Green-Rainbow Party of Massachusetts — MA branch of the Green Party)
Treasurer
The treasurer invests the state’s funds and maintains the state’s budget.
Candidates: Deb Goldberg (D, incumbent), Cristina Crawford (R)
Auditor
The auditor does financial, performance, and technical audits of various state departments or other programs that are publicly funded. To audit means to look into the performance of these groups and how they spend their money. They make sure goals are being achieved and money is used responsibly.
Candidates: Diana DiZoglio (D), Anthony Amore (R), Gloria Caballero-Roca (GR), Daniel Riek (L), Dominic Giannone III (Workers Party)
Governor’s Council
The governor’s council advises the governor and approves things like judicial appointments. Each Massachusetts district gets a governor’s council. In districts 3 and 6, the districts Andover is in, there is only one candidate running for the governor’s council.
District 3 candidate: Marilyn Petitto Devaney (D)
District 6 candidate: Terrence Kennedy (D)
State Senate
Andover is in the Second Essex and Middlesex Massachusetts Senate districts.
Candidates: Barry Finegold (D, incumbent), Sal DeFranco (R)
If this question is approved, Massachusetts taxes will be raised 4% on people who make more than $1 million a year. This money will be used to fund education, infrastructure, and public transportation.
This ballot is supported by Raise Up Massachusetts, “a coalition of labor unions, community organizations and religious groups.” You can learn more about them at raiseupma.com. This ballot is opposed by businesses and trade groups.
If this question is approved, dental insurance companies would have to spend at least 83% of premiums on patient care or provide refunds. Premiums are the money you pay for a specific doctor visit or operation in addition to what insurance covers. Currently, there is no threshold to what percent of premiums insurance companies have to spend on patient care. Companies that have been spending less than 83% of premiums on patient care will have to issue refunds.
This ballot measure is spearheaded by Dr. Mouhab Rizkallah, an orthodontist, and is supported by other dentists. It is opposed by the nonprofit Delta Dental and some insurance companies.
If question 3 is approved, the number of licenses to sell alcohol a single company or individual can hold will increase from 12 to 18. Currently, a chain that has 30 locations can sell alcohol in 12, but if this passes they will be allowed to sell alcohol in 18, so this law will mostly affect larger chains. It will also make it illegal to buy alcohol using self-checkout. This question has many more complex sections, so you are encouraged to read one of the additional articles to completely understand it.
Most of the supporters are alcohol stores, led by the 21st Century Alcohol Retail Reform Committee. Food Stores for Consumer Choice, which includes various stores, opposes the measure.
This measure will allow undocumented immigrants to get driver’s licenses, if approved. Its purpose is to make driving safer by making sure undocumented immigrants have insurance and have passed a driver’s test. The law was recently passed, but if the ballot measure is not approved the law will be repealed.
This measure is supported by public servants in the police and transportation services. It is mostly opposed by the Massachusetts Republican party.
Mail-in voting is available to all voters. You must request a mail-in ballot in person by November 1, or have your mail request received by then. You must return your ballot in person or have it received by mail by November 8.
Students demonstrated their talents to the people of Andover at the Andover High School Talent Show on March 6. The competition brought together talented students to compete for a $50 Amazon gift card.
The talent show winner this year was The c+Cgrinatucs, an Andover a capella group, that performed Take on Me.
AHS guidance counselor Kimberly Bergey helped put the show together for all students to show off their talents. “My favorite part leading up to the show is seeing which students sign up to perform and what their chosen talent is,” said Bergey. “I am always surprised to see students who I would never expect to perform showcase their hidden talents!”
Bergey has been a part of the talent show and its planning for many years, and while some aspects of the talent show still remain the same, it has changed quite a bit since the beginning. When the talent show started, it was an in-school event, but once AHS switched to the eight day schedule, it became the talent show that AHS knows today. The talent show started incorporating judges and winners, much like a proper television competition.
AHS Junior Leeyah Soen performed in the talent show and got second place in the competition. Her performance included a mixture of her talents, which include piano and rhythmic gymnastics. Soen found the talent show as a perfect opportunity to show off her talents, because she loves to perform and show others her art. “I have been playing piano and rhythmic gymnastics for 14 years now and I felt I could take it a bit farther,” said Leeyah.
Soen was very proud of her performance and wouldn’t change her experience because of how much fun she had. “I really had fun performing, I don’t think I would have changed that,” said Soen. Her favorite memory was being able to watch everyone grow as they practiced their talents. “Everyone had so much fun just cheering for everyone that was going to perform,” said Soen.
AHS English teacher Krista Paminger was one of the judges for the talent show. In explaining what sparked her interest in the first place, Paminger said that she was interested in supporting her students and their talent.
Paminger was very impressed with all the students and their performances. She was very happy with how much courage all the participants showed by getting up on stage and performing their talents for everyone to see. ”Singing, rapping, songwriting, playing the piano, American Sign Language, comedy, choreography, and dance are only some of the talents that were showcased that night, and the level of talent was remarkable,” said Paminger.
Bergey has seen many talents over the years, but that still doesn’t kill her enthusiasm to see kids go on stage and show off talents that may have been hidden until that moment. ”My favorite part of seeing the kids perform is watching students shine on stage who usually don’t have the opportunity to showcase their talents. They all have a lot of fun!” said Bergey.
Soen has advice to students who may be interested in performing in the talent show. She said that many people have talent and just need to have confidence to show off their talent. ”You can succeed, and if you believe in yourself you can do anything,” said Soen.
The electric vehicle charging port was installed on March 11 near the entrance of the Andover High School field house.
There is a Schoology page that directs those who are interested in charging their vehicle to a spreadsheet to sign up for a time slot. There is a morning session and an afternoon session. If a student’s car is fully charged, they can get a pass from Assistant Principal Scott Darlington to move their car. This way, another person can fill their spot.
COURTESY PHOTO / Eva McKone) Environmental Club Co-President Eva McKone shows off the new EV charging port
“We charge a flat rate of $1 per hour,” stated Eva Mckone, co-president of the Environmental Club. “However, after hours, it may be a little bit more or less depending on the different time of day.”
Darlington has an electric vehicle and has been using the charger often since the installation. “We’re trying to make sure that it breaks even. So I figured by charging that hopefully, I’ll set, like, an example that hopefully other people that have cars with a plug on it will come in to charge.”
ChargePoint, the company that supplied the EV charging port, has an app where users can find charging stations and if they’re available to use. AHS chose to work with ChargePoint “because they have a nice network and software that works really well in addition to the charger,” said Darlington.
Currently, AHS has one Chargepoint Dual Charger that can charge two vehicles at once. “If we do have great success with this and think that there’s going to be more opportunity by installing another one, we definitely will consider installing another charger,” said McKone excitedly.
Andover’s Model United Nations (MUN) won first place at an in-person MUN conference hosted by Tufts University, which lasted from Friday, March 11 to Sunday, March 13.
Students from seven schools in Massachusetts, including Andover High School, met at Tufts University to participate in a MUN conference known as Tufts Model United Nations (TUMUN).
TUMUN consisted of five committees debating five different topics, several of which AHS students were successful in. “Overall, it was challenging and fun,” said AHS sophomore Ria Vaishnavi, who attended TUMUN representing Kenya. “A lot of the weekend was spent working, negotiating, and managing my [committee]. The [AHS] team did really well, [and] a lot of us won awards.”
With nine AHS participants winning awards and the team winning Best Large Delegation Award, AHS MUN did very well at the conference. Junior Oscar Gillette, who is one of AHS MUN’s presidents and also a participant in TUMUN, added that “despite being mostly beginners going up against established teams, AHS delegates won first place in three out of the five committees.”
Additionally, Gillette is excited about the progress of this team. “I saw this [year] as a rebuilding year for the club,” stated Gilette. “Fortunately, I got to see this team grow from asking what Model UN is to winning a major conference!”
COURTESY PHOTO / Michael McCarthy AHS Model United Nations members hold the awards they won from Tufts’ Model United Nations conference.
After hearing about the opportunity to attend TUMUN, AHS MUN members were delighted. “There’s just that face-to-face interaction when you debate and try to reach compromises that can’t be beat—it can’t be replicated online,” said AHS MUN coordinator and teacher Michael McCarthy.
After the team decided against attending Harvard’s MUN conference (HMUN) in January due to public health concerns, AHS MUN applied to other conferences in hopes of finding an opportunity to compete. On February 11, Tufts University informed the club that they were invited to attend the conference.
AHS MUN meets on Fridays 3-4 pm. At a normal meeting, you’d find delegates, or students representing specific counties, debating their countries’ views on a given topic and proposing resolutions. Conferences like TUMUN, which last several days and are hosted by larger schools, are events the members look forward to every year. “[These conferences are] far more formal,” said McCarthy. “[The participants] have to kind of be on their toes a little bit; it’s [the real deal].”
On the night of March 4, the mask mandate in Andover Public Schools was lifted by the APS School Committee. APS students and staff are no longer required to wear masks in school or at school-sponsored events.
Because of the schools’ high vaccination rates and the steady decrease in COVID-19 cases prior to the mandate being lifted as well as the state mandate being lifted, the committee determined that it would be safe to stop wearing masks in school. Many were excited that the mandate was ending, and the committee’s decision was supported by the majority of the community.
Since then, many people have stopped wearing masks, but there are some who are keeping their masks on. Ohad Mamet, a junior, said that he is planning on wearing a mask until the cases stabilize. “I want to wait a while before I stop wearing it to make sure there are no new outbreaks caused from everyone stopping wearing their masks at once,” he said. This was a common concern since the mandate was lifted just a week after February break, butthe cases have not increased too dramatically. In fact, the cases have mostly declined since the break.
The numbers of weekly reported COVID-19 cases in AHS and the APS district.
AHS junior Diya Ganesh, while a bit worried about the mandate getting lifted, noted that it may not make that big of a difference. “Cases seem to be okay, which is all that really matters,” said Ganesh. “[It’s] not like people were really wearing masks all that well before.” Mamet agreed. “The mandate was helpful initially, but just became useless and annoying when people refused to wear their masks properly,” he said. “Lifting the mandate didn’t really change anything from a safety perspective as most of the people who wore masks properly are still wearing masks and the ones who didn’t aren’t.”
“I think at first a lot of people wanted to keep their masks on, but as time went on, I think people realized that it was unnecessary,” said Freshman Ian Chiang. “It’s comfortable to not have one on… I personally feel safe enough to not wear one myself.” He also said that if COVID cases were to increase, he would start masking again.
Interestingly, an email from AHS principal Caitlin Brown to teachers on March 7 said that because the policy has been changed to mask optional, there is no longer a need for mask breaks. Instead, Brown wrote, “Students in masks can take a break in the classroom as needed.” Junior Riley Cox thought that this didn’t make sense, because it would defeat the purpose of those students wearing masks in the first place. However, there are some teachers who allow masking students or the whole class to take short breaks in the hallway if needed.
A concern of School Committee members was the potential for harassment and division between people who continued to wear their masks and those who chose not to. “Are teachers prepared to address that kind of behavior in their classrooms?” asked Tracy Spruce, a member of the Andover School Committee. “If we’re going to do this, I want to be confident that the level of instability we’ve experienced over this issue is not going to translate into our classrooms.” While this “instability” has not been too common at AHS, some have experienced it. “I’ve faced some from a select group of kids, but most people haven’t said anything,” said Cox. However, Superintendent Dr. Magda Parvey stated that the schools’ general anti-bullying policy will deal with these types of issues.
Additionally, there was a push from parents in the community to lift the mandate. When Andover Patch asked about people’s thoughts on the mandate on Facebook, some had strong opinions. “This is so long overdue,” said user Tim Pitta. “History will never understand why we put our children through this… Shame on our policy makers for not lifting this mandate a long time ago.” Another user, Traci Babcock-Connor, claimed that mask mandates are “child abuse,” and that “[t]he fear and anxiety created are criminal and [there] needs to be accountability.” On the other hand, there were many who felt the decision was made too soon.
Nevertheless, the mask mandate was passed, and the number of cases is continuing to go down. People have been mostly supportive of their peers’ choices. “I am confident that all in the community will be respectful and supportive of an individual’s choice to either wear a mask or not,” said Parvey.
Wordle, an online word guessing game, has gained immense popularity over the past few months. All around Andover High School, people have incorporated the game into their routines and conversations.
Recently acquired by The New York Times, Wordle consists of a 5×6 chart where players have only six chances to guess a five-letter word. Unlike many other word games, all players have the same correct word, which is changed every day. However, to decrease the difficulty, the game color-codes letters in previously guessed words to give clues as to what letters the correct word has: green for a letter present in the correct place, yellow for a letter present in the wrong place, and gray for a letter not present in the word at all.
AHS sophomore Gwen Claman plays Wordle every day. “I like playing Wordle because it’s a good brain exercise,” she said. Like many other Wordle players, Claman enjoys the competitive aspect of the game. “I have friends that I can play against, and we try to guess the word first,” she explained. “Anyone can play word games; that makes [Wordle] fun for everyone.”
STAFF PHOTO / Grace Wang AHS students Max Hoffman (left), Jayden Cho (middle), and Grady Lilley (right) play Wordle on their phones
Teachers have also enjoyed playing Wordle and have incorporated the game into their daily lives. Scott Armstrong, AHS math teacher, says he likes playing the game five to six times a week and plays it in the morning while eating breakfast with his kids. “We like to see who can get it first,” said Armstrong. Armstrong also enjoys playing another version of the game called Nerdle, a math-based variation of Wordle.
In addition to the recreational aspect of the game, many mentioned the educational benefits of playing Wordle. “I have personally learned a lot of strange and new words from playing this game,” said Claman. “Since there is a different word every day, the game gives you access to a wider range of vocabulary.” Additionally, Armstrong mentioned the other learning benefits of “thinking about the game logically and mathematically with probability.”
Mahathi Veluri, an AHS junior, mentioned that “the game’s rising popularity could lead to the word getting spoiled for other people.” Still, playing Wordle is a part of Veluri’s daily routine, and she looks forward to playing it every day. “There’s no addiction factor,” said Veluri. “It’s only once a day.”
Linda Morgante, AHS freshman, shared similar views about the game. “I feel so determined while playing it,” she said. “When I guess the word I feel very accomplished.” Morgante enjoys playing Wordle with her friends and prefers it over many other online games.
As the warm weather and spring showers begin, many of us venture out to watch Andover High School’s spring sports teams compete. Tryouts began during the last week of March, and teams have been finalized for the spring season. Baseball, eSports, lacrosse, softball, tennis, track and field, unified track, boys volleyball, and ultimate frisbee are the spring sports offered by AHS. All spring varsity coaches were reached out to by ANDOVERVIEW, and previews below are a result of these responses.
Girls Lacrosse:
“Andover has a history of being among the leaders in the Merrimack Valley Conference,” said coach Ally Stager, a graduate of UNH Lacrosse. “My goal, as well as the team’s goal, will be to get back to the top of our conference.”
“One challenge we will face this year is getting used to a full normal season because a lot of girls have only experienced it through COVID,” stated captain Lily Farham, who has been playing lacrosse since the second grade.
The lifting of COVID regulations this year brings new excitement to the team. “We can move to more of the activities we used to do,” said Stager, “as well as the original style of play for girls’ high school lacrosse.”
Coming back to a regular season, the team has many short and long term goals that they’ve already set. Captain Tess Gobiel, a lacrosse athlete since the first grade, said, “My goals for this season are to speed up the competitiveness, and really make the other teams adjust to us. This season has a lot of talent on the field and just all-around athletes who are ready to compete.”
However, winning games and making progress are not the only goals for this team. Big priorities are creating bonds with each other and building a tight community.
“The best part of the sport is the competitiveness and drive that every girl has,” said captain Liv Beucler. “My favorite part about the team is our relationships on and off the field. We’re always there for each other. We all fit so well together and we know where each other are on the field.”
COURTESY PHOTO / Lily Farnham AHS Girls Lacrosse comes together at the end of pre-season practice on Tuesday, March 15, 2022.
Boys Tennis:
The boys tennis team has held high achievements in the past, such as league champions and semi-finalists of the North Sectionals.
With the capability of being a team and individual sport, tennis has a base that is different from many other sports. “Our goals are to come together as a team supporting each individual’s improvement and to be as competitive as we can as a team,” said Mike Wartman, who has been an AHS tennis coach for 30 years.
While AHS tennis faces numerous challenges such as the weather and lack of indoor facilities, the team consistently comes together and pushes through to reach their goals. “The tennis players have been outstanding, strong committed students, unselfish community members, [and] dedicated athletes who have fun while working hard to achieve individual and team goals,” stated Wartman.
The best part of the season is “watching the players come together as a team, caring for as well as supporting each other, [and] growing as tennis players and people,” said Wartman.
Boys Volleyball:
With the goal of winning the MVC Title, the boys volleyball team is hungry to get back onto the court. With coach EJ Perry, who won six straight NHIAA state titles from 2004-2009, and captains Owen Chanthaboun and Alex McNally, the team is in the hands of exceptional leaders.
“We are going to need some development in terms of positions and individual skills. We also need some chemistry and become a real team,” said Chanthaboun, referring to the many new players this team has.
“We have a lot of returners too and the team has been working hard in the offseason,” said Perry. “We look forward to bettering our record and making a run in the state tournament.”
However, the biggest challenge to this goal is the team’s long-term enemy: Lexington. “We are going to play them twice this season and they are definitely a difficult opponent,” explained McNally. “It is also a difficult feat to become a concrete and unified group.”
As the team begins practice, Perry believes that “volleyball is the most athletic sport out there, and is combined with great intellect. The players that excel are self-motivated and play very cerebral.”
Boys Lacrosse:
With a fairly new coach this season, the boys lacrosse team is ready to get back onto the field. Coach Bryan Brazill has been playing the sport since he was nine years old and began coaching lacrosse in 2005, the year after he graduated college. He began coaching AHS lacrosse in 2020.
“The biggest challenge going from college to high school coaching is you forget how difficult the sport is at a younger age group and how the skill set required to be successful is tough to master,” stated Brazill. “But they are working really hard at it too, so I think they’ll get there in a hurry.”
Captain Charlie Higgens echoed this feeling and is sure of their chance to make a run at the state championship. “We have a great coaching staff that makes the team a great environment to play and learn with all my teammates,” said Higgens.
While the team hopes to make it to the championship, there is also an emphasis on the love of the sport. “I think what’s more important than anything is that we get some fun back into it, because we kind of lost that last year”, said Brazill. “My biggest goal is to make sure that these guys have a blast, and I think that will translate into wins.”
As excited as the players are to begin games, they are more excited for fostering bonds among their teammates. “Having everyone hold each other accountable is very big for us,” said Higgens. Captain Kiernan Florio echoed this. “The best part of lacrosse for me is the relationships that come out of it,” he said. “My teammates are some of my closest friends. There is nothing better than the pasta dinners and bus rides home after big wins.”
Boys and Girls Ultimate Frisbee:
Ultimate frisbee is a sport like no other in terms of strong community and sportsmanship. “This is not just a characteristic of Andover Ultimate but ultimate teams throughout the Merrimack valley,” said girls captain Caroline Pritchard. “After games, the teams would gather and chat or sing parodies to each other for a bit.”
While it is not offered as a sport at the high school but through Andover Youth Services, there is a big sense of community within these players. “Our sport has such a strong community of devoted and kind players,” said Pritchard.
The 2021 season of ultimate was canceled due to COVID. “One of the biggest challenges currently facing the team is the lack of players,” explained boys captain Lucas Iannicelli. “COVID season was rough because we missed the recruitment of a whole grade, the junior grade.”
In addition, many people do not know that ultimate frisbee is a sport. “Before starting, I had no idea frisbee could be a sport and more than just tossing a disc on the beach, but I really came to love it,” recalled Pritchard.
Ultimate is more grounded on having fun than anything else. Iannicheli echoed this passion: “I am most excited about getting back on the field with some friends in the warm weather and playing some ultimate. It doesn’t get much better than that.”
Girls Tennis:
“For me, the best part of the tennis team is getting to play alongside my amazing teammates,” said captain Jennie Wang. “Although there’s an element of individuality in tennis, especially in singles, you definitely never feel alone when your teammates are cheering you on.”
Tennis is special in the way it can be changed to how one wants it. “The best part of the sport is the rush of adrenaline and the choice to play team, doubles, or by yourself, in singles,” said captain Carol Yu.
However, no matter how one chooses to play, all the captains agree that this tennis team has a special bond with each other. Through the good and the bad, the team continues to support each other to grow as players.
“My goals are to help the team not only be hard-working and prepared as we go into the season, but also to build sportsmanship and a sense of community among both our previous and new players,” said Wang.
Even with team support, a big part of tennis is fighting the mental blocks that occur. However, the team is confident in their skills. “We are a strong team that can push through challenges and we will get as far as possible in states,” said Yu.
Additionally, “the biggest challenge with tennis is that it is highly sensitive to weather,” said captain Eva McKone. This means that players must perfect their sport and be perfect reading the weather. If it is windy, the ball can go the other way and if it is sunny, it is hard to see how far away the ball is. “For this reason, it is critical for players to be adaptable and find ways to use the elements to their advantage,” said McKone.
With the season in full swing, the girls are excited to get back onto the court. “It’s a great feeling to know that no matter how your day has gone so far, you’ll always be able to go to tennis practice afterwards and work on your game with your friends,” said Wang.
COURTESY PHOTO / Carol Yu AHS Girls Tennis finishes pre-season practice on Sunday, March 6, 2022, with a team selfie.
The Class of 2022 Senior Prom is finally upon us. The prom will be held Saturday, May 21, at Castleton in Windham, New Hampshire.
Prom will begin at 6:30 p.m. and end at 10:30 p.m. Students are required to stay for the entire duration of the prom. Tickets for prom will be $100 per person as it includes entry to the prom as well as dinner. The school will not require students to take buses with the school; they will be allowed to arrive as they so choose.
“We are not anticipating needing to [take buses], but there may be some students that can’t get a ride there themselves,” stated Senior Board Advisor Laura Jordan. “We are going to wait and see how the ticket sales go, but there is no requirement to take a bus.”
Jordan said the tickets “should be on sale the week before April vacation, down in the cafeteria after school.” So don’t forget to buy your ticket after school in the cafeteria.
COURTESY PHOTO / Emily Fotter Senior Emily Fotter picks out her prom dress at The Ultimate.
When you order your ticket, you will also be able to choose your seats for the dinner at prom. Make sure to have your seating arrangements picked out before buying tickets, as you will not be allowed to change your seats after submission. There will be 10 seats per table.
The dinner is also a big part of the night and is one of the only times the whole senior class will be together to have a meal before graduating. “This year at prom, dinner will be a garden salad, chicken broccoli alfredo, pasta primavera, roast sirloin, seasonal veggies, mashed potatoes, and a brownie sundae,” said senior Micheala Sherlock. “There are going to be plenty of options for people with different dietary restrictions… gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian. There will be options for everyone, good options as well.”
Senior Prom 2022 is the first time since 2019 that seniors will get a prom run by the school. Prom last year was run by the loving parents of Andover for the Class of 2021.
Jordan said that the “biggest difference I know is that [the students] are not required to come here, take a school bus and all go together. People are excited about that because I know people are already booking party buses and limos… that will add a bit of a fun element to it.”
Senior Board Member Sophie Colby said, “I think prom will definitely go well, I think that people are really looking forward to an event like this because we haven’t had one at all; we didn’t have a semi—nothing like that—so we are very excited.”
“People are definitely opinionated about the prom court, which is good because we want to hear from our class,” concluded Colby. To vote for Prom Court, a Google Form will be sent out by the Senior Board Advisors. To stay updated with prom and other senior activities, you can follow the @AHS2022class Instagram.
Prom is a memorable high school experience, and this year’s prom will be a great way to end a year filled with setbacks such as COVID. The Class of 2022 deserves this prom, and the objective is to “have fun!” said Senior Board Advisor Sylvia Danos.
Sophomores in Andover High School Have Their First Semi-Formal!
Grace Wang STAFF WRITER
Andover High School’s first sophomore semi-formal of the year, Starry Night, was a huge success! Hosted by the Sophomore Board, the event took place on Saturday, March 7.
Starry Night was a sophomore-exclusive dance filled with food, lights, and music. The semi was held in the cafeteria, completely transformed with cascading lights. For the first time since COVID-19, students were able to see their classmates’ faces, for the mask mandate was also lifted that same day.
Kathryn Vives, the teacher advisor of the Sophomore Board, explained that “[the event] was just a social event for the students to get together.”
In the center of the cafeteria, the DJ played song remixes. To the right, the snack table had an assortment of refreshments including popcorn, cheese puffs, goldfish, candies, chips, and water. Refreshments were included in the price of the ticket. At the entrance, there was a photo wall for anybody that wanted to take pictures and save the memory of the night. Later, photos and videos streamed onto social media platforms, primarily Instagram but also Tiktok. Near the Collins Center side, the cafeteria had a brighter area with tables and balloons where students could relax and talk. However, more students preferred the dimmer side of the cafeteria.
Many students weren’t sure how the event would go, since many haven’t gone to a school event since COVID-19 began. People didn’t know what to expect of the dance but were pleasantly surprised. AHS sophomore Talia Bisbe commented, “I thought it was going to be really sad and really awkward but there was no room for awkwardness.” AHS sophomore Audrey Haskell added, “I got so many compliments from random people I’ve never even met so that was really nice, and I complimented so many people. So everyone was just, like, having a great time. Overall I think it was worth it.”
The clear star of the show was the lights, which garnered lots of positive attention. Haskell said, “The lights that they had made everyone’s teeth look so white. So that was really hot.” Bisbe continued to hype up the lights. “The lighting was awesome, and the blacklight made my actual outfit glow so I was a literal star on the dance floor,” she said.
STAFF PHOTO / Grace Wang Sophomores enjoying their time at the dance.
In contrast, opinions on the music were very controversial, and students had a lot to say about the DJ. Some people thought the music was really great while others were more critical. “I don’t like when he played the Squid Game music,” remarked AHS sophomore Molly Borenstein, “but he did play Lil Nas X, and I went down to Lil Nas X.” On the other hand, another student had stronger opinions on the DJ. Haskell stated, “I hated the DJ. I went up to make a song request and he was like, ‘No. This is a playlist.’”
Nevertheless, Vives emphasized that “the [Sophomore] Board put in a significant amount of work.” The Sophomore Board is a group of students who meet every Friday morning at 7:45 AM with Vives to plan and discuss events for the Class of 2024. Vives stated that students had to first come up with the idea of the dance itself. Then, lots of time and effort was put into organizing the ticket selling schedule at lunch, gathering student opinion via surveys in H-block, and choosing the dance date. Finally, the Sophomore Board members gathered in the cafeteria the night before to decorate the cafeteria with balloons, lights, tinsel, and hanging stars. As the theme of the dance was “Starry Night,” the dance displayed a blue, white, and purple color scheme.
When asked where the money went, Vives answered, “Any money that we raised for the dance goes to the class. So that money eventually will help with prom costs or other events they want to do next year and eventually for their senior week.”
