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Volume 72, Issue 7
Seniors
A Student Publication of the Belmont Hill School
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February 29. 2023
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portant world of college admissions and that, again, everything would end up fine. “I get how it feels daunting, but I would advise to not let it overwhelm you,” he stated. The school community should use these words of wisdom to get us through the most challenging quarter of the year. So, until the warm weather comes and the trees become green again, in the words of Mr. Holland, “Think about what brings you joy… rest assured that finding time to experience these joys will lead to your own version of success and happiness.” ☐
By Eli Norden ’26 Panel Staff “In the end, everything will work out just fine,” asserted Max Glick ’24, as the chapel erupted in applause. On Friday, February 2, the Belmont Hill community convened in the chapel to hear six incredible speeches by seniors and a faculty member reflecting on their time at Belmont Hill, extending what hopefully becomes an annual tradition into its second year. Ian Hendrix ’24, Andrew Bittner ’24, Connor Mackey ’24, Alexander Vittal ’24, Max Glick ’24, and Mr. Holland ’05 gave incredible advice to Forms I through VI, respectively. The seniors’ words of wisdom helped many reflect on their time here at Belmont Hill: “I really appreciate the hardships more than I used to,” said Sam Norden ’28. All six speeches were relatable. Andrew brought up the fear of being overshadowed by the achievements of
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Belmont Hill Seniors Belmont Hill Communications an older brother at Belmont Hill. Alex end, they all worked out: “If you focus discussed the difficulties of joining on failure, you will miss out on all the the Belmont Hill community in Form great things that make this your home.” IV. He reflected on the failures of his Max reminded the senior class first year on campus and how, in the not to fear the seemingly all-im-
Winter Play Written by ChatGPT: Explicit Permission By Will Achtmeyer ’26 Panel Staff The Full School play this winter was a wildly “original” play entitled, Explicit Permission. Written by Chat GPT (and edited by the theater team), the play serves as a spoof of Belmont Hill and high school life in general, following a character named Timothy as he begins his first year at Crestwood Academy. Boston Ezedi ’26 starred as Timothy, with James Keefe ’25, Andrew Agular ’28, Jayden Chen ’26, PJ Nolan ’27, Kyle Ayres ’29, Sebastian Colberg-Reyes ’27 and Will Achtmeyer ’26 playing a bevy of supporting roles. Even Belmont Hill Faculty’s own Ms. Allen and Ms. Bradley made appearances as a tour guide and jump-scare FBI agent. At just over 50 minutes long, Explicit Permission provided a hilarious insight into high school life at Belmont Hill and elsewhere. Topics such as Milk and Cook-
Belmont By Kevin Weldon ’24 Panel Staff Belmont Hill Wrestling has a long tradition of winning, and this year was no exception. Led by veteran senior captains Haden Bottiglieri ’24, Will Stewart ’24, and Cord Vallis ’24, the team boasted a 24-3 record (9-0 ISL) and collected the ISL Dual Meet Trophy for the best in-league record. Following a strong regular season, Belmont Hill hosted the Graves-Kelsey ISL Championship. Brody Sayers ’28, Isaac Novod ’27, Henry Santini ’28, Jack Dragoumanos ’26, Andrew Pimental ’25, Cord Vallis ’24, Will Stewart ’24, Haden Bottiglieri ’24, and Alex White ’25 placed first, while Aaron Stanger ’24, Wesley Zhu ’25, Myles Beckett ’25, and Nick Fiumara ’26 placed second. Haden Bottiglieri was also voted a Globe
ies (written by Chat GPT as Juice and Cupcakes), morning chapels, in-class games that nobody here plays, and even the new parking lot were tackled. The whole story was tied up in a heartwarming, though completely absurd and purposefully cliche, message about teamwork and the importance of overcoming differences. Audiences, including Mr. Schneider himself, greatly enjoyed the performance and some of Dr. Tift’s students even got some much needed extra credit for attending. It is truly commendable that Mr. DiResta (director), Mr. Ojeni (director) Mr. Fulham, Mr. Capelli (stage manager), Ms. Michelle (costumes), and the entire theater team were able to pull off such a last minute project. The initial plan was to do a real play, but the theater team course-corrected due to low audition numbers. What they produced was a truly hilarious and enjoyable experience that will certainly be remembered by audiences and those who worked so hard to make it come to life. ☐ Scene from Explicit Permission
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All-Scholastic Student-Athlete during a coaches meeting, which is typically awarded to the league’s Wrestler of the Year. The team’s dominant performance led to the eighth consecutive BH victory and allowed Belmont Hill to become the winningest team in Graves-Kelsey history, surpassing Roxbury Latin’s eighteen wins by posting their nineteenth tournament win. The following weekend, the team traveled down to Choate to compete at New Englands. Isaac and Haden became New England Champions, Henry and Jack earned second, Cord and Andrew won the consolation brackets, and Brody, Aaron, Wes, Alex, and Myles also punched their tickets to Nationals. Despite being a few wrestlers short, the team placed third overall by a wide margin. Traveling down to Lehigh this past weekend, nine BH wrestlers competed at Prep
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Nationals, where Isaac Novod, Jack Dragoumanos, and Haden Bottiglieri all made the semi-finals and finished as All-Americans, the former two placing sixth and Haden placing third by winning the consolation bracket. Led by these stellar performances, the team ended as the thirteenth best in the nation, an impressive figure. The 2024 Belmont Hill Wrestling Season is certainly one to remember, as the program saw itself succeed by not only earning a historic nineteenth Graves-Kelsey Victory, but also once again proving Belmont Hill to be one of the powerhouse programs in New England and cementing its role as a Top 15 school in the nation. Belmont Hill Wrestling has a history of excellence that cannot be understated – under Coach Bradley the team has amassed well over 500 wins. 2024 was no different,
Adam Richins
History
as Belmont Hill continued to demonstrate the strength of the program in the ISL, New England, and the nation, and the program will undoubtedly continue to thrive for years to come.☐
A Look The Panel
Inside
Pages 2-3: Opinions Page 4: Winter Sports Pages 5-8: Sports Pages 8-9: News Page 10-11: Arts Page 12: Backpage