THE BENJAMIN SCHOOL NEWSPAPER
@thepharcyde_tbs
4875 Grandiflora Road, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418
21 April 2023
@thepharcyde_tbs Volume 44
Issue 06
Sounds of Spring, Strings, and Singers Fill Benjamin Hall Amanda Duguay Staff Writer The Benjamin School’s Spring Music Festival occurred at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, March 31 in Benjamin Hall at the Upper School campus. This Music Festival featured the Middle School Performance Ensemble, Middle School String Ensemble, Upper School Concert Band, Chamber Ensemble, and Chorus. One of the performers sophomore Sage Sorenson said, “I sang with the choir. We sang ‘Queen’s Bohemian’ ‘Rap City’, Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’, and Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Driver’s License’, which was really fun. The last song gave it a modern twist. My favorite piece was ‘Hallelujah’ because our voices sounded put together and there were a lot of techniques. We practiced that one the most.” The Chamber Ensemble performed a string arrangement of Brittany Spears’ “Toxic”, a Korean lullaby called “Island House Baby”, and the song “Another Day of Sun by La La Land.” The Upper School concert band performed “Chicago Melody” from the band Chicago, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”, and a hip hop melody,” A member of the Upper School Concert Band Colby Mack said, “I
really liked the “Chicago Melody”. It was a really fun piece to play, and it brought together a bunch of pieces from Bleed the Sixties that were just really interesting to play. The Music Festival was fun to play in. There were a lot of interesting pieces. It’s great to bring together the middle schoolers with the high schoolers. It provided different experiences playing with a new set of groups that we don’t normally get to play with.” “My favorite piece was the hip hop melody it was a kind of modern song that we all already know it was fun to perform those songs we listen to on a day-to-day basis,” said junior Tristan Mack. Upper School Music Director Mrs. Austin believed that the Spring Music Festival went great. “I was super proud of all my students. The music that they were playing was very different than anything that they’ve played before. It was all popular music. It wasn’t classical, and that came with its own challenges their weird rhymes music in pop music sometimes there are weird harmonies, and they all gave 110%, and I was just really proud of them.” After the first semester, Mrs. Austin has truly connected with all her students to make the best performances possible, but she is also sad
that her seniors will be leaving soon. “It was really good. It’s always really cool to see both music teachers and music students from across all different campuses come together, and the parents seem to really enjoy it. The atmosphere was a little bit bittersweet because it was also our seniors’ last music concert.” The Spring Music Festival was a great success and a fun experience for all that attended. It marked a great final departure for the senior class, and Mrs. Austin’s leadership this year provided an incredible conclusion.
Musicians from the Upper and Middle Schools gathered to perform on March 31st at the Spring Music Festival. Top right: The US Band, under the baton of Music Director Mrs. Austin, performs “beneath the stars” on the big stage at Benjamin Hall. Above left: Freshman Siu Park performs “Another Day of Sun” from the film La La Land on her violin. Center: Sadie Weaver, Katherine Rodgers, and Xan Blount take a moment to smile for the camera before the show. Above right: Senior Andrew Moffitt warms up on the piano before the show. Photos by Jeremy Ferris.
NHS Inducts 36 New Mayor Named Distinguished Alumna Members Into Chapter Alex Perkins Staff Writer
Sophomore Anthony Viverito joins the other new inductees who were each inducted under one of NHS’s four pillars: service, leadership, character, and service. Photo by Alex Perkins
Matt Marasco Sports Editor On Tuesday, April 4th, 36 new sophomore and junior members were inducted into Benjamins’ chapter of the National Honor Society. Each new member received an application form from NHS if they had over a 3.8 cumulative GPA. National Honor Society advisor Ms. Sara Misselhorn inducts the members through an application process each spring semester. Each member is interviewed by two students already inducted into NHS and Ms. Misslehorn herself. “After they turn in their applications, the faculty comments on their application and they get interviewed. We look at their scholarship (academic rigor), leadership, character, and service, which are the four pillars of the National Honor Society,” said Ms. Misslehorn.
One new inductee, junior Adam Mahmoud, is excited to be inducted into the National Honor Society for the opportunies that he expects to arise from entrance into the society. “I applied for the National Honor Society because I always try and push to be the best version of myself. I believe NHS is a place where I can better myself and be held to a higher standard. Getting inducted was fun and exciting because it was the beginning of a new part of my experience at Benjamin,” said Mahmoud. During the assembly, the officers of NHS gave a brief biography of each inductee as the student came down to the center stage to sign their name. After the student was introduced, a current member of NHS placed a stole over the shoulders of the inductee as well as reciting the words of induction. Article continues on page 5.
Mayor Chelsea Reed, a proud graduate of The Benjamin School’s Class of 1988, returned to TBS on March 30 to accept the prestigious Distinguished Alumni Award and inspire the next generation of leaders. Mayor Reed, who has been serving as the mayor of Palm Beach Gardens, has brought significant change and improvements to the city during her tenure. The award ceremony took place on stage, where Head of School Mr. Faus and the President of the Alumni Association presented Mayor Reed with the Distinguished Alumni Award. This honor is given to an outstanding alumnus who has achieved significant professional accomplishments and contributed positively to society. Mayor Reed was chosen for her unwavering dedication to improving Palm Beach Gardens and her inspiring leadership
The Benjamin School was the catalyst for all the good things that happened in my life . . . -Mayor Chelsea Reed, ‘88 The Benjamin School welcomed Mayor Reed with great enthusiasm, as students, faculty, and staff gathered in Benjamin Hall to celebrate her accomplishments and hear her speak about her journey from a local high school student to the city’s top official. The audience eagerly awaited her arrival and the atmosphere buzzed with excitement as students applauded her for her accolades. “It was amazing to meet our city’s mayor,” said freshman student Owen
Olbers. “Mayor Reed’s speech was so inspiring. It made me realize that if I work hard and stay focused, I can achieve great things too.” Mayor Reed’s visit also included a look at the campus, where she reminisced about her high school days and marveled at the school’s upgrades and expansions. She expressed her admiration for the school’s continued commitment to excellence in education and its focus on cultivating well-rounded students. “My favorite memory from The Benjamin High School was any science field trip that we went on. Every single one was completely immersive, and you walked away feeling like you were officially a biologist afterwards,” exclaimed Mayor Reed. “Another one of my favorite memories was when Mrs. Benjamin would teach us about mythology. She would kind of act it out, something like flying around the room or an angry person up on a mountain. Something really cool about that is there are still teachers, such as Mrs. Hogan, who teach similarly.” During her speech, Mayor Reed shared her personal journey, recounting her time at The Benjamin School and the experiences that shaped her into the leader she is today. She spoke fondly of other alumni who she has kept in touch with, her participation in extracurricular activities, and her passion for public service. She also stressed the importance of “Go Benjamin, Go Anywhere.” “There are two things that really stood out to me about Benjamin; first of all is the experience at this school really makes us into amazing, whole, well-rounded people so that we can do anything whether its art, science, math, or photography,” said Mayor Reed. “The other thing that’s really amazing about this school is the con-
nections, once you get out, that you make with all of the alumni. It’s unparalleled. There’s no other network like that, especially for having such a small class in high school,” Mayor Reed continued. Mayor Reed’s visit to The Benjamin School was a testament to her dedication to the community and her passion for inspiring the next generation of leaders. The students and staff of The Benjamin School will surely remember this special day for years to come, cherishing the memories of another hometown hero who had gone to TBS and went on to make a meaningful impact on the city she loves. This event has undoubtedly left a mark on the school community, encouraging students to dream big and strive for success, both personally and for the betterment of society.
Palm Beach Gardens Mayor Chelsea Reed, an alumna of the class of 1988, accepts the Distinguished Alumni Award during a special assembly. Reed was honored for civic service and embodiment of the Benjamin values. Photo by Alex Perkins