THE BELFIELD BANTER
- HALFWAY EDITION -
JANUARY
30TH | BANTER PUBLICATIONS | ISSUE V
Door Decorating Winter Choir Concert
By Quinn Humphreys ‘27
The door decorating competition is a fairly new tradition at Saint Anne’s-Belfield, yet it has become well-loved. Walking through the hallways during the holiday season, and seeing all of the doors decorated for each advisory brings joy and festivity, much needed in Mod 3. Working with your advisory to create the door fosters a sense of community and teamwork. Although this year’s snow days shortened the door decorating competition, the doors themselves were as creative and intricate as always. Some doors that stood out were Ms. Brodie’s paper-mache Rudolph, Ms. Beardsley’s Sprite-themed door, Ms. SJ’s advisory as Labubus, Ms. Bussey’s cell phone wishing us an “APPy holidays,” and Mr. Webster’s hot cocoa stand. Every door was super unique, fun, and well-made. Unfortunately they can’t all be described here, but I hope you had a chance to check out all the doors before the break. Can’t wait to see what the advisories come up with next year!
By Kate Cheng ‘26
“Let’s go / Whoever you are / Let’s go / Come travel with me” are the lyrics that opened this year’s Winter Choir Concert in the Upper School. Inspired by poet Walt Whitman’s “Song of the Open Road,” this song set the tone for the evening of musical enjoyment ahead for the audience members. I might not be able to mention every fantastic detail of the performance, but here are some of my highlights.
My personal favorite piece of the night was “Swimming.” The beautiful violin and guitar accompaniment (courtesy of Emily Zhu and Quinn Eliason, respectively) accentuated the incredible vocals from the choir, as well as those of soloists Keira Druzgal and Harrison Edwards. The whole song romanticized a somber day covered in soft grey clouds and lightly drizzling rain, and it transformed the interior of Grisham to the rocky shores of a cold lake somewhere in the woods. It will definitely be finding a place on one of my more contemplative and morose playlists.
One of two songs about hope, “We Are Not Alone” had no musical accompaniment holding it together, but it made up for it with strong and loud voices, steady like a rock. Unwavering and steadfast lyrics conveyed their message: “We are not alone / Love is with us.”
Basketball Updates
By Pete Huebner ‘26
Interview with Axel Iturbe ‘26:
Any big news/changes going on in the team?
Nothing major, just trying to find our identity as a team and how we can have consistent success and wins.
Any significant events?
We had a pretty big home win versus cross town rival Miller, and we’re trying to make that the standard now.
Are the members enjoying the season so far?
Yeah, the team gets along well together. We have a great group of guys in the locker room. I think now the key is we have to have the same chemistry while playing, mesh on the court, and get everyone involved and trusting one another.
How confident is the team for games after break?
We’re always confident, no matter the opponent. We start conference play January 6th, so getting in a rhythm so we can win a 5th straight VPL title is at the top of our minds.
Who’s committed to Basketball in College?
I (Axel Iturbe) am committed to Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland to play basketball next year. It’s Division 3 out of the UAA conference; they made the sweet sixteen of the NCAA tournament 2 out of the last 4 seasons and won the UAA conference 2 out of the last 3 seasons.
Jayden Brown and Shamar Curley are other players receiving college interest at this time. Jayden recently went on a visit to Brown University in the fall and has been hearing from Division 1 schools in the A10, MAC, Ivy League, Patriot League, and a variety of other conferences. Shamar has heard from schools at a wide range of levels, from Division 3 all the way to Division 1.
The Choir Concert would not be complete without a performance by our school’s Acapella club: Elements of Sound. Their rendition of “Since U Been Gone” got every head in the audience bopping along. We were also treated to several reprises of great Chapel performances from the year so far, and Mr. Southerland was pleased to report that he had officially beaten Mr. Bartholomew’s challenge to increase the number of Chapel performers from last year—from 62 to 65 and counting.
The final song of the night was “Celebrate,” featuring Macy Stancil as a soloist and Callum Lawrence ‘32 from the middle school playing guitar. This showstopper definitely beat out the other songs that night in terms of the energy palpable in the room, especially during the moments when the choir was snapping along to the beat. The lyrics cemented that good mood: “This is the music that makes me better / This is the feeling that turns me on / Oh everybody’s got that window down / Summertime turn it up sing-along.” A huge shoutout to everyone who made the evening possible, and especially to the choir and all the performers for a wonderful night of music.
Robotics at the Learning Village
By Agustin Norambuena ‘28
In late December, over 20 teams from across Virginia and beyond met at the lower school’s Conway Convocation Center for the FLL Robotics Regional competitions. Of five teams from Saint Anne’s Belfield, three made it through to compete in the State Championship: two of our 6th grade teams and our 8th grade team. From beginning to end the energy throughout the building was one of excitement and focus. No matter how they performed, each team was driven to improve further.
When asking the 6th graders about their experience at the competition one member of the team Limitless remarked, “you are never fully ready for a competition. Most time and points are made in the judging room and prioritizing time is incredibly important.” Furthermore, everyone made it clear that the competition between teams was high. Any team can have improved something that you haven’t and expertise in all areas of robot game and innovation project are necessary. Despite this, one message was made incredibly clear when asked what they thought about robotics: “We like it!”
The 8th grade team has many members who have been a part of FLL for 2+ years and was hard at work immediately gearing up for the State Championship. Having made it to the World Championship in Houston the year prior, expectations were high and on the last practice before their competition at States, the team was incredibly focused on their project. Every member was synthesizing data or helping with the floatation device they had outside. Working diligently in the rain, and counting seeds one by one it was clear that driven would be an understatement when describing their work. Polishing their innovation project was the last major hurdle before the competition with a member confidently stating how they were “scoring 500’s” on the robot game, with the best possible score being 545. States this year is on January 11th 2026, and myself and many others wish all our teams the best of luck and are confident in their success and excited for what they can do next in robotics once they come to the Upper School.
Lessons And Carols
By Imogen Fagan
St. Anne’s most popular event is neither Convocation, the first school-wide gathering honoring the commencement of another school year; nor graduation, a celebration of our oldest students as they continue on to their next adventures as new adults. Lessons and Carols has greater attendance by both livestream viewers and in-person friends and family than any other school event, and yet there is no personal, grade-level, or school-wide accomplishment being recognized. Instead, this gathering represents a moment of reverence for something greater than the individuals that make up our school, whether that is the community itself or God, keeping current and past members of St. Anne’s returning year after year.
While the first Lessons and Carols took place at Cambridge in 1918, St. Anne’s is one of the hundreds of organizations worldwide to partake in the service today. The format is simple: nine Bible readings depicting the nativity from Genesis to John, each followed by a Christmas carol sung by the congregation, and led by choir and orchestra students. Despite the stages where arts students stand at mics, there is no clapping following each song, instead the crowd remains silent, honoring the religious origins of the service. For Christians, it is an opportunity to honor the birth of their savior, but the ceremony is equally revered by atheists, agnostics, and those of other faiths. It is the connection formed by hundreds of students, faculty members, friends, and family standing to sing much beloved carols; strengthened by chains of hands linked during Mr. Clark’s final benediction of the year; and sealed during everyone’s favorite rendition of “Carol of the Bells,” the only song followed by applause as the school officially begins its Winter Break. Lessons and Carols is not a celebration of achievement at St. Anne’s, but an honoring of community, drawing the largest crowd of any school event year after year.
Red Cross Blood Drive
By Kate Reilly ‘26
Most people only see the final product of the Red Cross Club’s effort and not all the moving parts and effort behind the scenes.Something that might surprise people is that working with the Red Cross can actually be a challenge! Many high schools don’t follow through on their donor goals, so the Red Cross often decides to not send as many resources and staff to these kinds of drives. Luckily, our drive has consistently met our goals for the past five years, so the Red Cross now understands what we can accomplish. This year they shut down the local blood donation site and sent all their staff from that location to our drive.
Other than coordinating with the Red Cross, the other key tasks of our club include recruiting donors and providing food/other resources to the volunteers, blood donors, and Red Cross Staff on the day of the drive.
We split ourselves up into various groups in order to accomplish these tasks all before January. These groups include working on the forum, reaching out to local businesses to see if they would like to sponsor the drive, designing our t-shirts and other media, and organizing bake sales. Once we are closer to the drive and know how many people to expect we also decide on what food and beverages we think will be the best to provide. Additionally, this year we decided to try to entice more community members to sign up though a new method: our gift card raffle!
This article wouldn’t be complete, however, without shouting out Mr. Ross. He is our amazing faculty advisor who has helped guide this club to where it is today. Here are some of his thoughts on our drive this year:
“I take great pride in what we accomplish each year, and I know that we are continuing to make such a difference in our community. Each year, the student leaders take on more and more responsibility, and each year, it is easier to recruit donors because students in our school are excited to donate. They have seen how important this event is, and they are eager to take part in it. My job becomes easier each year. I know that we will continue to make the drive better and make an even bigger impact on our community. This drive makes me proud to be a Saint.”
Dollars and Sense: The Economics of Energy and AI
By Liam Gundersen ‘28
It is clear that the future of AI will be determined by our ability to meet its demand for energy. AI uses data centers to train models and execute tasks. Recently, hyperscalers have created new AI-focused data centers consuming ten times more electricity than most conventional ones, enough to power 100,000 households. About 60% of this electricity is allocated to servers, the specialized machines that execute AI training, inference, and computational workloads. Anywhere from 7-30% is used for cooling the technology. The rest are additional electric components of data centers, such as routers and data storage. Currently, the wide range in electricity allocation to cooling systems shows that adoption of innovative cooling solutions is the next step in cutting down on energy costs for some data centers.
In 2024, data centers around the world consumed around 415 terawatt hours of electricity, growing 12% every year for the previous five years. This figure represents only 1.5% of total energy consumption. However, in some states in the US, data centers consume upwards of 10% of the electricity supply, with Virginia leading at 25%. The International Energy Agency (IEA) recently published a report analyzing the results of a simulation that modeled the future energy consumption of AI. In their base case, energy consumption doubled to 3% of global consumption by 2030. In the “lift-off” case, where data centers are being built at a greater rate than expected due to factors in legislation, supply chain, and AI adoption, energy consumption reaches 4.4%. Even in the model with the lowest increase in energy consumption, the electricity consumed by data centers in 2030 is enough to power both France and Spain combined.
Spanberger Innagurated
By Ari Kastello ‘26
On January 17th, I had the honor of being invited to the inauguration of Governor Abigail Spanberger. The ceremony was held outside of the state capital in Richmond. Despite the cold, thousands of supporters from across the state lined up for blocks to enter and show support for the new governor. After getting through the line and ticket-check, I was offered a commemorative blanket and hot chocolate, and got a seat on the bleachers. The ceremony started with a performance of “Shenandoah” by the Heritage High School choir, followed by a blessing, the pledge of allegiance, and the national anthem sung by the Hampton University Concert Choir. After that, Attorney General Jay Jones was sworn in, followed by Lt. Governor Gazala Hashmi, and finally Governor Spanberger.
After swearing in, she gave a speech that focused on unity. She drew on the history of the state to discuss the importance of standing united in the face of major challenges. She talked about the ideals of unity and quoted Virginia’s first governor, Patrick Henry, who said, “United we stand, divided we fall. Let us not split into factions that must destroy that union upon which our existence hangs”. Pivoting to policy, she stuck with her theme of unity and described how she would serve as a governor of all Virginians, including immigrants, and outlined her policy priorities, while criticizing the chaos in the White House. She concluded her speech by discussing the ideals of the civil rights movement, and before starting to close with the line, “Choose to stand united. Choose to serve one another. Choose to act together. As we continue forward, let us be united for Virginia’s future.” Her speech was both hopeful and unifying, while recognizing the very real challenges facing our Commonwealth. Her speech was followed by a cannon salute and a flyover.
The ceremony ended with a benediction, given by Dr. Lance D. Watson, the senior pastor of St. Paul’s Baptist Church in Richmond, and a parade. Spanberger’s inauguration presented unity, not division, and showed that as governor, she will work to serve all of the people in Virginia.
Where this energy supply comes from impacts its ability to scale adequately. Today, 30% of the electricity consumed by data centers comes from coal. Renewables and natural gas make up 27% and 26% respectively, and nuclear accounts for 15%. For every case in the IEA’s simulation, renewables meet at least 50% of the new electricity supply for data centers by 2030. Data centers can consider multiple approaches when paying for electricity. Currently, most pay monthly bills to power companies for electricity. However, with the increasing energy demand, many data centers have begun utilizing power purchasing agreements that act as hedges against increased electricity prices. Some data centers will also invest in location-based renewable electricity for more direct influence on their energy supply. Even rarer are large data centers that fully finance and build their own electricity production systems on-site for exclusive access. When evaluating AI companies, it is imperative to consider how they are sourcing, funding, and implementing electricity, and whether larger shifts in global energy production could impact their performance.
Revisiting Rob Reiner’s Stand by Me
By Caroline Reilly ‘26
“I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?”
Recently, the film world suffered an enormous loss with the murder of beloved American actor, producer, and director, Rob Reiner, and his wife, Michele Reiner, who was herself a film producer and photographer. In the wake of this tragedy, I have found myself revisiting Rob Reiner’s filmography.
Today, Rob Reiner is remembered largely for his directing work, such as When Harry Met Sally, The Princess Bride, This Is Spinal Tap, and my personal favorite: Stand by Me.
Stand by Me is adapted from Stephen King’s 1982 novella, The Body. The film follows four boys as they set off on an adventure to see a dead body, after learning of a boy their age who had accidentally been killed near their hometown of Castle Rock, Oregon. Gordie, Chris, Teddy, and Vern traverse train tracks, a marsh full of leeches, and a mean junk yard dog named Chopper, but they also begin to understand one another more as stories are shared and conversations are had, turning their childlike adventure into a defining moment in their lives.
I watched Stand by Me for the first time when I was thirteen, after my dad showed it to me, and ever since it has remained one of my all-time favorite films. I find this movie to have left such an indelible impact on me and my adolescence due to its genuine portrayal of childhood friendship and coming of age. Stand by Me hones in on small, transformative moments, conversations, and shared experiences that follow us throughout our lives. As the story is narrated after the events that take place in the summer of 1985, it serves as a bittersweet look into the past, with childlike adventure and the inevitable reality of growing up and drifting apart. The characters, despite their youth, are depicted as complex and multifaceted, and River Phoenix in particular delivers a strikingly powerful performance in his role as Chris Chambers.
Stand by Me is an incredibly compelling and endlessly quotable film. It has stood the test of time and remains a classic movie that captures the universal essence of childhood, family, friendship, and the experience of growing up. If you’ve never seen it or it’s been a while since you have, I highly suggest you give it a watch!
Stranger Things Review
By Stefan Laza ‘29
The last season of the show Stranger Things came out, and in my opinion, it executed its finale very poorly. During Thanksgiving break, Volume 1 of Season 5 met expectations. First, the scene with everyone getting ready for the crawl with the song “Upside Down” created a great first impression for the show, but the use of metal plates as a miracle fix dilutes the impact of the Season 4 finale. Episode 4 also reveals that the military kidnapped the most hated character in the show, Kali. This choice baffles me, as she comes from the worst-rated episode in the whole series. Erica’s scene is by far the best moment in the show, and her drugging the Turnbows is pure gold. Overall, this volume is solid, and I’d give it an 8/10. The editing hits, and Erica and Derek are amazing.
Volume 2 was released on Christmas Day, and crashed and burned. First, when Holly and Max talk before escaping Vecna’s mind, they spend an obscene amount of time when at any moment, Vecna could come and kill them. On top of this, they reveal that a wormhole, the Upside Down, connects our world to the mysterious abyss. The show focuses on the aesthetic of these creatures from the upside down, but quickly shifts away from that for the new aesthetic of the Abyss. In addition, Will’s poorly written coming-out scene fails to make an emotional impact due to its assembly of the whole cast, and its length. All of this leads to the volume getting a 5/10, for large gaps in action and drawn out dialogue.
Lastly, the finale was released on New Years Eve. It seemed rushed, and Vecna’s final battle felt like a joke. The finale shows everyone’s happy ending, but it doesn’t feel earned. The whole season felt bloated with too many characters and there were no deaths that made me feel anything. Part of that was because the main kids, El, Max, Lucas, Dustin, Will, and Mike never even share a scene without the whole cast. Also, the Duffer brothers created a kind of Schrodinger’s Eleven, so everyone got what they wanted, whether that was death or a happy ending. I rate the finale 6/10 because I thought the last thirty minutes, although unearned, were cute. Plus, I like the final battle. I just wish we got more of it.
Wild and Peaceful by Kool & The Gang
By Sarah Sanders ’26
During Winter Break, I became increasingly influenced by the 70s funk and jazz scene, and decided to write a review of one of my favorite funk & jazz albums, Wild and Peaceful by Kool & the Gang. Funny enough, one of my Christmas gifts to my Mom was this very album on vinyl. And I will say, it sounds extraordinary on a record player and stereo system!
Formed through a group of Jersey City neighborhood friends in 1969, the group had multiple names before settling on the famous Kool & The Gang, including: The New Dimensions, The Soul Town Band, and Kool & the Flames! They have successfully received two Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, and been in the Top Ten numerous times. Their deep love of the rhythm of music is prominent, shaping their message of music being a means of communication.
“Heaven at Once” is such a beautiful song, in my opinion. Though there is not a lot of singing, but the beautiful conversation between Robert “Kool” Bell and his youngest brother, Rory, is a letter to peace and unity, and finding the light in such uncertain times. It is rather intimate when “Spike” Mickens, Dennis “Dee Tee” Thomas, and Ronald Bell play trumpet, flute, and saxophone. Not to downplay the subtleness of George “Funky” Brown on drums.
“Hollywood Swinging” is one of the more disco tracks. This flashy song begins with a fanfare of horns. Completely different from “Heaven at Once,” this song is way more upbeat and is the perfect movie soundtrack song. When I hear this song, I think of some cool 70s character, decked out in full glam, walking into some big fancy hotel. This song highlights all band members, showcasing the horns in the beginning, and Claydes Charles Smith on the guitar with his mesmerising, stylish strumming.
Opinion: America Last?
By Ari Kastello ‘26
On January 3rd, US special forces infiltrated the Presidential Palace in Caracas, Venezuela. Over the course of 6 minutes and 30 seconds, the president of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, was captured. He was transported to a Brooklyn detention center to await a trial for “narcoterrorism”. Not only was it questionable under international law, but it’s also bad policy.
The administration presents the operation as a return to America’s previous foreign policy, with President Trump describing it himself as the “Donroe Doctrine,” in reference to the historical policy of exercising dominion over the western hemisphere, often through less than peaceful means. While the stated reason for the action is a counter-narcotics operation, it is instead imperial brinksmanship, which risks destabilizing the region and entering a drawn-out conflict.
Besides the transport of narcotics in Venezuela, the other stated reason is oil. The White House further justified the attack by suggesting that Venezuela’s oil industry had failed to comply with sanctions. After the operation, the U.S. government demanded control over Venezuela’s oil sector, including direct access to over 30 million barrels of oil, and suggested that American companies would be involved, giving the U.S. incredible future leverage over Venezuela’s resources and economy. This neo-colonial resource grab stands only to benefit at the cost of risking further instability and war. While companies are hesitant to invest at the moment due to regional instability, the Trump administration’s stated goal is to have U.S. oil companies “go in” and “spend billions of dollars.”
The administration has suggested that they will “run the country” and “dictate policy.” However, they have yet to suggest a clear path forward and have offered no timetable on this U.S. interference. Furthermore, Trump has refused to rule out a continued military intervention. This attempt to control the Venezuelan government through force could result in the very “nation building” and “forever wars” that Trump spent three election cycles railing against. The last time the U.S. intervened to remove a president was in Iraq, leading to an operation lasting 10 years, costing over a trillion dollars, and leading to the deaths of over 4,000 service members. The administration’s actions in Venezuela are damaging our global standing and risking war, showing that it favors big oil and colonial dreams, while putting American taxpayers last.
“Wild and Peaceful,” which is the jazzy and instrumental title track of the album, is incredible. Those who do not indulge in as much jazz might call the song repetitive or meaningless due to its no words and subtle changes. As someone who likes funky jazz (for example, legendary Japanese American trombonist Hiroshi Suzuki’s album Cat, released around this time), this song was amazing. There are points in minutes 5–6 where, between the horns, the volume subtly fades in and out. Everything about it was done thoughtfully well.
Overall, Wild and Peaceful by Kool & The Gang is stunningly funky. In other songs I didn’t mention, there are subtle things I adored like the whistle in “Funky Stuff,” and Don Boyce’s funny lip blubbering in “Jungle Boogie.” Going into this new year, remember to stay positive, find the happiness all around you, and, above all, remember to dance!
Ice Ice Baby
“Purple Rain”
Prince “EoO”
Bad Bunny
“Dear Arkansas Daughter”
Lady Lamb
“Within you”
David Bowie
“Jungle Boogie”
Kool & The Gang
“Born to Run” Bruce Springsteen
“1979” The Smashing Pumpkins
“Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” Creedence Clearwater Revival
“Ice Ice Baby” Vanilla Ice
Banter Staff Reads by the Fire
Kim Ji-young, Born 1982
Cho Nam-Joo
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
Suzanne Collins Trust
Hernan Diaz
The White Tiger
Aravind Adiga
Giovanni’s Room
James Baldwin
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
Haruki Murakami
Things Fall Apart
Chinua Achebe
Tokyo Ueno Station
Miri Yu
Editor-in-Chief
Kate Cheng ‘26
Senior Editor
Sebastian Laza ‘26
Formatting Head
Carter Kelly ‘26
Staff
Henry Dozier ‘26
Henry Dozier ‘26
Lovissa Price ‘26
Ari Kastello ‘26
Clemente Norambuena ‘26
Caroline Reilly ‘26
Sarah Sanders ‘26
Anastasiia Pestova ‘27
Quinn Humphreys ‘27
Imogen Fagan ‘27
Grace Browne ‘28
Liam Gundersen ‘28
Stefan Laza ‘29
Formatting Team
Nori Zhang ‘27
Editor’s Note
Hi everyone,
What a snowy way to start off Mod 4! I hope everyone is keeping warm and not too upset about losing a few days off school. Thanks for taking the time to read this edition of the Belfield Banter in between the craziness of this week.
Many thanks to the staff and collaborators for all their hard work! As always, it’s never too late to join Banter, so if you’re interested in writing, formatting, or any side of journalism, please don’t hesitate to reach out!
Have an excellent (snowy) day,
Kate Cheng (Editor-in-Chief)