Opinion – AHS NEWSPAPER

OPINION: Time to Ditch Test-Optional Policies

December 13, 2024

By Luka Oatman
STAFF WRITER

Test-optional college applications sound like a dream. Applying to your first-choice school without having to submit an SAT or ACT score is enticing. It feels nice not to worry about taking a test for your application. Realistically, though, students everywhere fall victim to the negative effects of this newly developed procedure.

Test-optional applications gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. They were introduced as an option for students who were unable to take standardized tests due to the global restrictions at the time. Although test-optional policies were expected to be a temporary solution, they have since remained as an alternative for applicants who feel less confident in their test-taking abilities and wish not to declare their scores. What some students fail to recognize, though, is that in many cases it is more harmful than beneficial to withhold their scores when applying. In fact, it is often helpful to include an ACT or SAT score in situations where the applicant is uncertain.

The primary issue with test-optional applications is that their academics are more heavily scrutinized than those with a test score attached. William Hutchins, a guidance counselor at AHS, said, “What I usually say to my students is that if a school is test-optional, then other aspects of your application, such as your college essay, become more important.” The lack of a score gives admissions officers one less area of focus and increases the importance of a student’s transcript, admissions essay, and supplemental essays. Applicants are told that applying without standardized test scores will not affect their application results, and while it may be true that officers will not base their opinion on whether or not a student submits their results, their overall interpretation of the application will change if a score is not sent in and the weight of other aspects increases.

Applicants on a global scale face drawbacks from test-optional policies. Since 2020, some schools that implemented and maintained test-optional applications have seen a sizable rise in average scores for the SAT and ACT among their students. This is the result of selective submissions, only including scores that match or exceed the school’s average. As students begin neglecting to report lower scores, there is a steady increase in test result averages. This trend occurs when students stop including their standardized tests in their college applications out of fear that they do not measure up to the rest of the applicant pool. While some colleges avoid this by collecting test scores post-admission, many neglect to do so. Allowing students to apply with undeclared test results catalyzes this problem which, if it continues in this manner, will eventually render standardized test results as utterly meaningless numbers in a sea of schools boasting perfect 1600 average SAT scores.

Test scores function as an equalizer for college applications. Hutchins mentioned, “It can be tough sometimes to compare states against states, or schools against schools… If you have a 4.2 GPA at Andover, that’s not necessarily the same as a 4.2 GPA at North Andover.” He elaborated that standardized test scores do exactly what their title suggests by standardizing an aspect of the application process. The SAT and ACT exams are designed in such a way that they measure students’ capacity to take one similar exam and bypass factors such as teaching policies, available resources, or academic rigor that vary by school, and provide a simple, unchanging criterion for a college application.

I find that these combined effects of test-optional applications hinder the success of students and justify the eradication of the policy as a whole. Disallowing students from withholding standardized test scores would lead college admissions officers to view all applicants through the same lens. It would lower average scores at schools across the country and universally benefit students by increasing the likelihood of their results exceeding the school’s benchmark.

I am guilty of refusing to provide my test results on some of my college applications, but each time I have chosen not to submit them, I have wished they were a required element. Test score mandates would not only reduce the stress of deciding whether or not to submit but would also create more opportunities for applicants of different strengths to be admitted to the college of their choice. I feel as though this obligatory report would diversify the applicant pool and greatly improve students’ acceptance probability, easing the process for people of varying academic success.

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A Call to End the Home-Economic Recession

May 2, 2023

Brandon Nguyen
STAFF WRITER

Say you’re driving on the highway, when all of a sudden your tire gets punctured. You know you have a spare one in the trunk, but how exactly do you change it? Or, you just got a new jacket, and as you’re putting it on you hear a massive RIP down the back. You find a needle and thread, but actually fixing your coat is another issue. Maybe you’re home alone and you get a little hungry. You rummage through the pantry to find instant ramen packets, to no avail. What happens when cooking is your only option?

These were a handful of many experiences of Sophia Nguyen, an Andover High School alum and a freshman at Northeastern University. “From my first few months away from home, I realized how unprepared I was for just everyday things,” said Nguyen. “I’m lucky to live so close to home. I couldn’t imagine living somewhere like California and having [my car] break down.”

There’s a simple solution to teaching these skills: Family and Consumer Science (FCS) classes. Previously called “Home Economics,” FCS classes are designed to give students the necessary, non-academic skills to live on their own. They teach students basic life skills, including cooking, nutrition, home management and upkeep, sewing, budgeting, and child and family care. At AHS, there are a couple classes focused on life-skills: the Financial Literacy elective teaches money management, taxes, and insurance, and various business classes teach how to start a resume and communicate with employers. But, many students feel that those classes are not enough to equip students to live on their own.

The history of FCS and Home EC classes is complicated, with them becoming popular in the 1940s. They divided people by sex, with girls usually learning childcare, while boys took woodworking and shop classes—all to prepare kids to fit into conventional gender roles. However, many changes to FCS courses have happened over the past 60 years, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which allowed people of any sex and background to participate in all domestic education classes. But as the workplace became more accessible for everyone, regardless of gender, schools began to prioritize higher education instead of FCS classes.

Focusing on preparing students for professional careers is important, but academic careers and domestic labor are not mutually exclusive. As AHS students choose to leave the house after high school, many have said they feel unprepared to live on their own. “The curriculum at AHS feels more focused on business and STEM classes,” said Charlie McNally, a sophomore at AHS. “While they’re good skills to have, they really only help in a work environment, and nowhere else.”

Zoie Zeng, another sophomore at AHS, said, “There’s so many responsibilities we have once we’re adults that we don’t learn about. To be honest, I don’t know the first thing about taking care of myself. I don’t even know how to cook.”

While some have brought up how the skills taught in FCS classes can be learned at home, there is a benefit to having life skills be taught in schools. “Both my parents work full time jobs; if I wanted to learn something I’d have to go to the internet,” said Nguyen. “That can work for some, but a hands-on experience is probably much more engaging and keeps people safe. Having someone there to inform and correct mistakes could be much more beneficial than the internet.”

Emily Tsai, a sophomore at AHS, also mentions how while online learning is possible, it’s also helpful to have a class to “give students the motivation to actually learn something.”

Tsai also brought up how subjects learned in academic classes can be incorporated into FCS classes. “My father was able to do Home EC courses in high school… and in the plumbing course, they were able to demonstrate topics like series and parallel circuits by creating a solar-powered water heater,” said Tsai. Depending on if they used a series or parallel circuit, students were able to see which one made the water heat up more efficiently. “It seemed like a much more interesting way to demonstrate the topics that we learned in Physical Science, instead of using the janky kits.”

As for how likely FCS classes can be added to the AHS curriculum, it seems the possibility may be growing. According to Principal Brown, “[AHS] is looking to hear from students on what they want to have out of their high school experience.” This is part of the “Vision of a Graduate” work the AHS administration is doing, as they define what our community wants an AHS graduate to be. “The idea of the Vision of a Graduate is that the skills taught at AHS would be part of our DNA. Everything that we do would be based on what that vision of a graduate is,” said Brown. “As we do the planning around a renovated or new school, a maker space that would allow for more hands-on work is definitely in the design.”

Whether or not students are ready for life in the real world is a question that is on the forefront of the minds of students, teachers, and administrators at AHS. But one thing is certain: FCS courses can offer students new confidence when it comes to entering life beyond high school. “Independence can be really daunting, but with the right guidance, living on your own can feel more like walking down a hill than jumping off a cliff,” Nguyen concluded.

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Climate Change: An Opinion

February 13, 2023

By Anushka Dole
STAFF WRITER

Climate. Change. On their own, these words are as common as any others; something not worth a second thought in the busy commotion of our daily lives. Yet, when these unassuming words are put together, they create a bombshell of a phrase that threatens to destroy the very fabric of our society. The topic itself is shrouded in controversy, and discussions often end poorly. However, it doesn’t have to be this way. We must open up the conversation if we are to solve this issue.

“Biodiversity is in crisis, the climate is in crisis, there’s going to be big, big changes in the 21st century, and I think it’s really important that people know and understand,” said Alexis Valenti, who teaches environmental science at Andover High School.

In order to truly understand climate change, asking questions is essential, and one of the key questions in many of our minds is, “Why is it so hard to get rid of climate change?”

Melanie Cutler, who teaches AP Environmental Science and the Environmental Sustainability Internship Course (ESIC) has the answer. “The biggest challenge,” she said, “has been that, for whatever reason, fighting climate change has become a more political issue than it needs to be.” Indeed, as per Truthout News, in the US Senate, one in every four senators holds investments in the fossil fuel business. The giant industry has generated nearly $2 trillion in profits since 1990, making it very lucrative to invest in.

Besides the political snags, there are also scientific issues to contend with. The problem lies at the heart of modern living: almost all the contemporary comforts we enjoy are fueled by fossil fuels. Everything, from our TV to home heating to transportation, relies on fossil fuels—even things we wouldn’t normally consider, like concrete (the world’s third largest emitter of CO2, according to the BBC.)

One may argue, “Why don’t we just shut down the production of oil as soon as possible?” Though it may seem like the obvious solution, implementing it is not as simple as it seems. The renewable energy technology we have right now is just not up to the mark. Scientific advancements, along with political coordination, must be made if we are to use entirely renewable energy.

Fortunately for us, there is no shortage of ideas in searching for solutions. Valenti and Cutler both have insightful thoughts on ways that society as a whole could tackle this problem. “Environment shapes behavior, so if you want people to behave in a certain way you have to set up the environment… to make it easier to do the right thing,” said Valenti. An excellent example she gave was that in New York City, “many people… don’t own cars because of the high costs and big hassle of owning and driving a car there; it’s much easier to walk and take public transportation.”

For Cutler, the biggest thing that American society can change in order to contribute to solving climate change is “wean ourselves off of fossil fuels and switch towards renewable.” In addition, she said “we need to improve our whole electricity grid and develop a lot more battery technology to store wind and solar power.” In this aspect, there is good news: according to a recent article from the Boston Globe, carbon emissions from the national electric grid have fallen—a sign that innovations are being made thanks to the coordination of science and politics. If political leaders give science the funding it needs, it is possible to revolutionize renewable energy technologies.

Climate change is a wide-reaching problem with dire impacts, but that doesn’t mean we should lose hope. “The most important thing is to help people understand we need to be more conscious of how we live,” Valenti said. Spreading awareness and taking action are things that we can all do together, whether it be through participating in our school’s Environmental Club, using a carbon footprint calculator to find and eliminate our personal emissions, reducing our meat consumption, or even bringing a zero waste lunch. We can also lobby our local and state governments to act for climate change. Our involvement and enthusiasm is what will propel us forward.

The pursuit of science and politics will be essential in tackling global warming, and our school has opportunities for education here as well, including the Intro to Environmental Science course, Advanced Placement Environmental Science, and ESIC. There are a number of ways we can contribute to combating climate change in our own town, and perhaps use the same skills to improve larger communities.

As Cutler eloquently phrased it, “For every problem we talk about, we talk about lots of solutions, and there’s lots of good news on the horizon.”

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OPINION: Socrates v. Students?: AHS Speaks On Socratic Seminars

January 13, 2023

By Carissa Dessin
STAFF WRITER

The Socratic seminar. The place where students share ideas, ask questions, and get clarification on a piece of literature. A place that some students love and some hate.

Socratic seminars can be terrifying to an anxious or unprepared student. Heads snapping towards you once you open your mouth, the anxiety of a teacher asking you to speak up so the whole class can hear, the silence that fills the room after you speak as if nobody understood the words that left your mouth.

“It’s an essential technique for the English classroom,” English teacher Brian Shea said.

Shea’s reason for doing Socratics is simple: “The reason, really, is so it’s not just me talking all the time.”

Sophomore Lucy MacLean is not a fan of Socratics, but she “would rather do a Socratic seminar than write an essay.”

Socratics have fewer criteria than an essay would, since students are mostly graded on participation. Essays may have an abundance of requirements, such as an outline, a certain number of paragraphs and pages, font size, heading, and more. These things can cause students to lose sight in what they are doing, which is showing understanding of a piece of text. Socratics don’t seem to need that much preparation besides bringing in questions or discussion points, which could lead to more analytical thinking from students.

“[They] can cause stress and nerves for students who are less comfortable speaking in large groups,” said sophomore Piper Gorsuch, who empathized with the students who disliked or felt uncomfortable during Socratics. “For some students, the benefits might not outweigh the stress.”

Gorsuch herself has mixed feelings on the matter. The idea of Socratics and the preparation stresses her out, but her previous experiences have been nothing short of enjoyable. She is able to relate in some way to those quieter students, saying, “When I don’t know as many of the people, I feel less comfortable speaking up.”

It just so happens that a lot of students don’t have a strong positive or negative-opinion. Many have mixed feelings about them, like sophomore Chloe Gibson. “It’s nerve-wracking and scary having to jump into a discussion,” she said. “But it’s nice to hear classmates’ opinions.”

This is true, hearing a classmates’ opinion is a nice refresher from always hearing a teachers’, but some students may take things too far. There are some students that tend to dominate the conversation and speak over quieter classmates that just want to get their participation points. This could damper the mood of any student and discourage them from speaking. But it mostly encourages students and causes them to be more assertive which is a quality that is very crucial in life and adulthood.

“Whether or not they like them is not the point,” Shea said bluntly. “It’s more teaching them that skill so they can be successful in other areas.”

He pictured a scenario where the student was at a table with their future employer and colleagues, having to brainstorm and share ideas. The employer expects them to be able to contribute to the discussion and be comfortable speaking in the conversation.

“I want you to feel like you’re prepared to engage in that discussion because that’s a career,” Shea started. “You’re not just talking about a book in class, you are engaging in a sharing of ideas and questions. If you don’t speak up, you’re not going to be noticed and you’re not going to get that promotion or you’re not going to get that raise or you’re not going to get that job.”

Sophomore Bailey Heckman agreed, “[They] help you learn how to have a real important discussion that will benefit you later in life.”

For the students that truly hate Socratic seminars, is there an alternative? Is there a way to share your opinion without all the preparation and stress?

There just may be.

They’re called dialogic conversations. They are an exercise used in history teacher Mary Robb’s classes where students discuss topics based on personal experiences rather than a piece of literature or a character.

The group gets a prompt and the students get five minutes to think and write about their answer. Then, each student gets two minutes to share their experience with that topic. “There is an option to pass if students are not comfortable with sharing. A student who chooses to pass would hand in a written response,” Robb said, providing an alternative that might calm the nerves of anybody who was worried about sharing out loud.

Instead of the student speaking on a book that they may not understand or relate to, they are speaking from personal encounters. This provides a less stressful time for students and an overall good experience for students to share their feelings and experiences where they wouldn’t normally be able to.

But what brings ease to one student might bring stress to another. Some students might be too scared to share personal information with others, and while they do have the option of a pass, it still creates an all-eyes-on-them moment. Then again, it will be difficult for them to open up and speak about their experiences later in life if they don’t start early.

Now, comparing Socratic seminars and dialogic conversations wouldn’t be fair. They are two completely different activities that require a different side from the students. Dialogics ask a student to pull from their own brain and their own experience and Socratics ask them to analyze a piece of literature and show understanding through asking questions, answering questions, and providing backup with quotes.

Though the two exercises are very different, both require the bravery from students to put themselves on center stage and speak their mind.

While Socratics are stressful and require a lot of preparation, they are important. They help prepare students for the real world and teach a lot of the essential skills they need to succeed. Shea brings up a good point; it’s not whether they like it or not, it’s a matter of if it is necessary to succeed.

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Smart Pass: Pros and Cons

January 13, 2023

SmartPass is an app being implemented in some Massachusetts schools. It tracks how long students are out of class for, essentially functioning as a digital hall pass. It allows students to leave class without having to ask their teachers in the middle of a lesson, and it gives them a window of time to go where they need to. While some think this new app could have benefits, others think it could be even worse.

PROS
Naomi Bloom
Managing Editor

According to the SmartPass website, this app is the “ultimate solution for hallway management,” capable of increasing time spent in class, preventing vaping, and improving the overall safety of the school.

A helpful aspect of this app is that, depending on where students are going and the distance they need to go, students can change the amount of time (within a range) needed in the hall. Students will also be able to leave class without having to ask their teacher and disrupting the lesson, which is not only beneficial for those still in class, but can also ease students’ anxiety about asking a teacher for permission to leave.

There is also a feature that can prevent certain students from being in the hall at the same time as another, preventing hall fights. This is not a very common occurrence at AHS, but it is still a useful feature nonetheless.

One worry that some students and parents in schools where SmartPass has already been implemented have is that the app can track their location. However, it cannot do that, and it simply takes note of the time and what type of place the student inputs (ex. bathroom, nurse, etc.).

While SmartPass may not seem like it would solve the problem of students vaping in bathrooms, it has potential to do so. There is a feature where students can anonymously report vaping to administrators through the app, which could significantly decrease this issue. The anonymity could help encourage students to speak up. And, finally, this app could reduce paper waste. Think of how many passes get used each day, around one per student on average. 180 days of school for about 1,800 students leads to a whopping 324,000 passes. The passes are small, but they add up.

This app may not be perfect, but it’s still a start. It is already being used by over 500,000 students, so it’s worth giving it a chance. And although electronic, at the end of the day, the app is controlled by people with empathy and understanding.

CONS
Jocelyn Barton
ONLINE EDITOR

Imagine this: being in class, needing to go to the restroom, and asking the teacher for a pass. Instead, you are asked to car- ry a device that counts down the time you are able to use the restroom. Potentially, this could be the future of AHS. SmartPass is an app where teachers are in digital control of their students’ freedom outside the classroom. Such an app could be implemented in place of paper hallway passes. “It’s horrible. That’s an invasion of our privacy,” said Anya Gupta, senior and student, who has used bathroom passes throughout her four years at AHS. “It makes me uncomfortable.”

With this app, administrators may hope to put an end to the persistent problem of vaping in bathrooms. However, it would be unfair that an app is being forced upon the entire student body because of a handful of uncooperative students. Administrators implementing a temporary fix for a recurring problem would not reach the root of the matter. So with this app, vaping would undoubtedly remain a problem.

The app does not account for the fact that some people may need more time outside of class than others. This app does not take into account students who have health issues such as IBS, excretory problems, or menstrual cramps. Some students also need mental health breaks throughout the day.

“You have to put into perspective that some of those kids need to take those laps,” said Adelaide Weeden, senior at AHS.

For some, these brain breaks are a lifeline for students who struggle with their mental health. In addition, everyone needs a break at some point. Taking a break during class deter- mines the difference between a stressful, unfocused day and a calm one. An app cannot answer the complex needs of stu- dents, and if such an app were at AHS, faculty should take into account a variety of experiences beyond what the app allows for.

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OPINION: Sickeningly Sweet Treats: Fact or Fiction?

October 24, 2022

Naomi Bloom
MANAGING EDITOR

(Notice: This article contains non-graphic descriptions of poisoning and death)

The Drug Enforcement Administration recently published a warning about an “alarming emerging trend of colorful fentanyl available across the United States” being made to appeal to younger people. This resulted in the return of scares about tampered Halloween candy. These stories of poisoned candies, drugged treats, and knives in apples spread like wildfire as soon as fall comes around every year. But, fortunately, these stories are usually just stories, being more of a spooky tale than reality.

While the very occasional dangerous Halloween candy occurrence does happen, it is very rare, and it is much less of an issue than the media and worried parents make it out to be. The stories revolving around Halloween candy tend to be a combination of “stranger danger” and how drugs are being marketed towards younger people nowadays.

Of the few cases of Halloween candies being poisoned, the majority were isolated incidents. The most infamous case of this was the poisoning of eight-year-old Timothy Marc O’Bryan in 1974, whose Pixie Stix were laced with cyanide. However, after further investigation, it turned out to be his own father who did it, not the work of an odd neighbor or a stranger. Similarly, in 1970, when five-year-old Kevin Toston died shortly after Halloween, many jumped to the conclusion that it must have been his candy, and so it was reported as that. But, it turned out that he accidentally took his uncle’s medicine, and the rest of his family blamed it on the candy to protect his uncle. There was even a case in 1982 where a child’s doctor misread his lab results and said that he had cyanide poisoning (which was immediately brought to the press), and he only later realized that the tests had actually come back negative.

It is more common to find to foreign objects in treats (usually apples), often played off as a prank. However, it’s much easier to check for those than drugs or poison, which you can’t see. Besides, who eats the apples they get on Halloween?

Drugged candy is far less common. As Abby Ohlheiser from the Washington Post said, drugs and edibles are “way too expensive for someone to decide to give them out on Halloween.” And there is no real motive for people to do that—even if they were trying to get the kids to come back to buy more drugs, how could they possibly remember which house it came from? There is little evidence to back up how often many say it occurs. “The specter of THC-laced candies is no more threatening than past baseless legends,” said Joel Best, a sociology professor at the University of Delaware.

In the end, your Halloween candy being tampered with is less of a concern than the amount of food coloring in it, and the only one who should really be worried about Halloween candy is your dentist. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to err on the side of caution and make sure that any candy you get is from an actual brand and is fully wrapped and sealed, but it shouldn’t be so much of a worry that it takes the fun out of the night. Happy early Halloween, and stay safe.

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FAREWELL COLUMN: Looking Forward

May 23, 2022

Camille Storch
CO-EDITOR IN CHIEF

When I first stepped foot into Andover High School my first day of freshman year, I had a rush of emotions hit me like a wave. I felt scared, nervous, and confused, apprehensive about being able to make new friends, settle into a new environment, and enjoy my four years. I had a feeling in the back of my mind that the time would fly by extremely quickly, yet in the moment, just the first quarter of freshman year alone felt daunting.

Throughout freshman year, I made more friends than I thought was possible, and joined different clubs and extracurricular activities, where I met even more people, including both students and teachers. I also was hit with a blunt reality of time management, and the inevitable struggle for balance between school and social life, a balance that probably will never be equal.

Sophomore year, I began to hit my stride, settling into a comfortable rhythm between running cross country after school, staying on top of my classwork, continuing to make progress taking piano lessons, and hanging out with friends. I was able to get involved in more clubs, including Mock Trial, which became a favorite part of my weekly routine. In addition, I found myself dealing with a knee injury from running and learned how to deal with the obstacles and annoyances of being unable to do something I love.

COURTESY PHOTO / Camille Storch
Storch celebrates her senior night for cross country alongside fellow senior captains

March of sophomore year, I, along with the rest of the world, was faced with a new obstacle, greater than any obstacle I had ever faced; being in quarantine at home. With COVID and the first couple of months of at-home learning, I was able to adapt to a new way of taking in information and simply living. Being online for school had its benefits, but I also struggled with staying on top of my work if no one was there to enforce it. I got to see friends over Zoom, but that was nothing compared to hanging out with friends in real life. During these spring months stuck at my desk, the only motivator for me to keep going with school was the anticipation of summer. Even though the country was still very much shut down, I couldn’t wait for free time to just be outside, take bike rides and walks with friends, and go to the beach.

Junior year, I began to start looking at schools to check out prospective colleges and locations I either liked or didn’t like. At the same time, many of my friends who were seniors were making their college decisions, which piqued my curiosity in the entire process. I began to spend a lot more time with these friends, trying to make the most of our time together before they graduated. With school being hybrid, I only got to see half of my school, which meant only seeing half of my friends when I was in the building. Lunch time is normally a time when I can sit and talk with everyone, not just the kids in my exact lunch block class, but instead, I was only in the Dunn Gym, eating my lunch at a desk six feet away from the next, during the same two blocks each week. As I entered the summer post junior year, I was swept up with working at my family’s bakery, working on my college essay, and trying to wrap my head around entering my last year of high school.

Now, as I complete my senior year, I am grateful for all of the opportunities and fun experiences that have been provided to me as a result of being part of the Andover High community. I have worked hard this past year, but I finally feel that my hard work and effort has paid off, and I am looking forward to the future. I know it sounds cliche, but our high school years truly do fly by in a blink of an eye, and as Ferris Bueller once said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” When I look back after four years of high school, the memories, experiences, learning curves, and growth makes it a time worthwhile.

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FAREWELL COLUMN: Moving Too Fast

May 23, 2022

Shravya Sathi
CO-EDITOR IN CHIEF

When the current seniors started their time at AHS on August 29, 2018, the four years to come — 1,367 days, 32,808 hours, 1,968,480 minutes, 118,108,800 seconds — felt like they would last an eternity. However, by May of 2022, it felt like it went by way too fast.

Coming into AHS from middle school was like going to college. An overwhelming amount of exploration came with this step. I could join any clubs, had an option on what classes I wanted to take, could pick any sport to try out for, and make a bunch of new friends. On top of just living through that, it was the time for a lot of firsts. First time going to a high school sports game (before Triple EEE hit Andover), first time staying after school, first high school dance, first party, and it seemed like a dream. It was the preview season for the next three years.

Sophomore year only got better. While freshman year came with trying new things, sophomore year gave me my first real taste of freedom: my driving permit. Additionally, with everyone turning 16, the fun continued, as sweet-sixteen invitations were traveling around the school. However, that stopped when the news of COVID started being carried around instead. Then, came the fire alarms for a whole week. By the time we finished making bets on who the culprit was, the announcement was delivered: School is canceled for the next two weeks due to COVID. At first it was exciting, the endless facetimes, family walks, disinfecting groceries, and sitting behind the computer with the cameras off because for some reason it was uncomfortable to turn them on. And before you knew it, school was officially over.

STAFF PHOTO / Shravya Sathi
Seniors walk down the path at graduation after getting their diplomas

By the time we returned to junior year, whether you picked hybrid or online, it was an unexpected situation. We never thought we would have to wipe our desks at the end of class with cleaning spray, eat six feet away from friends in the Dunn Gym, have classes under large tents, have assigned seats for the whole year, and hope for no “close contact” emails from the school nurse. However, a little bit of normalcy continued in our lives when it was time to get our licenses (unless you got caught in the North Andover Auto School scandal). With this freedom, however, came the realization that we need a job in order to pay for gas, and soon enough we were all working our first jobs.

Senior year thus far has been a mixture of all the previous years: exploration of freshman year, freedom of sophomore year, and responsibility of junior year. The college process at the beginning of the year was a type of stress I would not wish on my greatest enemy. However, the time between submitting college applications and decisions coming out hardly exists— it goes by so fast. Then, it’s April and it’s time for all the senior events. By the time the AHS Grads Instagram starts rolling with commitments, it really hits that this is goodbye. Soon enough, prom will be over, and it will be senior events week, graduation, senior safari, and our last goodbyes. By May 27, 2022, we’d have gone through our last high school sports game, last time walking through the school doors, last high school dance, last party, and the dream is over.

In the end, it truly goes by faster than you think. The same kids that you went to elementary school with, drew on shaving cream covered desks with, made Valentine’s Day cards with, are all going to be spread apart across the state, country, continent, and some, even the world. Take a moment to enjoy where you are and take it all in because it will be over before you know it.

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EDITORIAL: College Decisions Causing Stress

April 7, 2022

High school seniors across the world are currently having to grapple with a major decision that will play an important role in their further education. For some students, deciding where to go to college is simple; they have known their whole lives they are destined to go to this place, or they toured a specific school junior year and knew it was the one. Yet, for others, the choice can be quite stressful to map out.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been significant changes to the admissions process — specifically, the removal of the requirement for students to submit standardized testing scores. Since students did not have to submit scores, many decided to apply to more schools that might have originally been out of reach. As a result, universities this year have received record numbers in terms of applicants.

In addition, many universities over-accepted the Class of 2021 last year, therefore they are having to accept less students this year in order to restore their undergrad population.

All of these contributing factors have led to a stress overload for seniors. Students this year are facing unexpected rejections more often than before.

As it is expected the next few years will be impacted by the pandemic, there will continue to be a need for resources for the rising seniors. In the future, we hope to be able to find more accessible ways to connect with guidance counselors and access helpful, basic resources

that will outline exactly what rising seniors need to fill out with specific information. For example, seniors and their parents did not know what the CSS profile or FAFSA is or how to fill them out. Many students do not know what things we should be doing since freshman year to help make applying to colleges easier in the future.

We believe that having more time and meetings with guidance counselors since freshman year. These meetings can consist of figuring out what the student wants after high school and making sure they are on the right track for that. In addition, having a platform that students can access as early as ninth grade, with all the college information and checklists could truly help.

Editorials represent the opinion of the ANDOVERVIEW staff as a whole.

Articles Community Opinion

OPINION: Russian Invasion of Ukraine Affects AHS Students

April 7, 2022

Harry Guo
GUEST COLUMNIST

In a nation full of loud voices, it’s easy to overlook the quieter ones. Even though people pound their fists and scream on television about the war and how teenagers only care about social media and TikTok, that’s not the case for all of us. My friends and I have discussed and debated Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, so it’s frustrating when our worries are misunderstood and discarded. In addition, with the easy access to phones and internet, we get an inside look at what’s going on in Ukraine right at our fingertips. This accessibility also comes with a lot of stress. School shootings, the COVID-19 pandemic, and now this invasion – we’ve got a lot to take in.

Many teachers have offered a safe space for students to talk about the war in Ukraine, especially when some students have families in the conflict zone. This led to healthy discussions and explanations of why we need to understand and engage with other parts of the world. One teacher says that many students have the same feelings now as the teachers did when they were in high school during the Cold War. Other teachers try to show Russia’s side of the story, but my friends and I can’t justify the images we are seeing in Ukraine. To make this whole situation even more complicated, teachers have to help students navigate through misinformation. One question that keeps popping up in classrooms is this: Am I going to get drafted into the war? Many teachers thought that these students, who live thousands of miles away from the conflict, were joking. Misinformation aside, many people said that teachers shouldn’t veer off too much from the curriculum.

However, the current invasion isn’t as far off from the history curriculum as people think. Talking about this invasion opened my eyes to the similarities between the Middle Ages and Renaissance, which is something we’ve been learning. During the ninth century, Russia grew out of a blending of Slavic and Byzantine cultures. They also adopted Eastern Orthodox traditions, which separated them from the West, leading to a difference in culture that still exists today. From my teachers, I’ve learned that the invasion of Ukraine is nothing new and that history will continue to repeat itself. I believe that it’s important for students to understand the consequences of war and the parallels of today’s events with World War II and the Cold War.

Outside of the classroom, there has been an array of opinions on the topic. Some students have been team Putin, while others think they’re absolutely crazy. When the argument happens face-to-face during lunch, things can get vehement, but it never gets to the point where two people never talk to each other again. Once that bell rings for the end of lunch, everyone forgets everything and heads back to class as if nothing happened. This is a different story compared to last year as I spent all of it remote. When everything is online, it’s difficult to get to know others. Slow Wi-Fi speeds, crunchy mics, and awkward lags also don’t help. All of this combined is especially worse while discussing a sensitive topic. One message can spark a fiery debate among a whole group.

Overall, there’s a mixture of fear, anger, confusion, empathy, and helplessness among the student body because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Some were ashamed that they were praying for this to not happen to their own country instead of praying for the people of Ukraine. Others thought that people were overreacting until they saw the images of the damage done by the Russians. This war has not only affected our high school but everyone all over the world. Let’s hope that the invasion is stopped soon, before this escalates into something worse.

Harry Guo is a current freshman at AHS.