THE HILL NEWS VERBA VOLANT, SCRIPTA MANENT
VOLUME CXXXII. NO.3
December 14, 2022
Delayed fourth meal program highlights equity concerns at Hill By LIZZIE HOPPER ’23 STAFF WRITER
Recent inflation at the Grille highlighted some confusion about the financial aid demand at Hill. The rise in prices also revealed more extensive concerns particularly around the future of the “fourth meal card,” a financial aid program available to some students. The Business Office titled the program the “fourth meal card.” The program, however, has been colloquially known by students as the “stimmy card.” “The purpose of this program is to make sure students who are hungry outside of traditionally offered mealtimes have access to food to eat,” Assistant Head of School for Student Life Ari Baum said. The initial program began two years ago amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The program allotted a small weekly stipend for students to spend at the Grille, which is then replenished weekly. There were no specifications on the allotted time of use. “The students who have access to the program come from families who have demonstrated financial need,” Baum stated, adding that “financial aid at The Hill School is
granted on a need basis to families.” The status of these individuals was kept confidential to protect students from being treated differently in any sense, ensuring that all Hill students are guaranteed the same opportunities within the community. The rollout of the fourth meal program this year was delayed beyond the fall semester this year for administrative reasons, resulting in students questioning the program’s possible disbandment. Some students on financial aid commented that they do not frequent the Grille often during the fall due to recently increased prices. “Not only did the prices go up, but now these students, myself included, aren’t even getting stimulus checks,” said a student that spoke on condition of anonymity. The student’s identity remained protected to respect their financial privacy. When asking Richard Wood, the chief financial operating officer, if the program was still in place, he stated that the program is still accessible to students; however, “its implementation got delayed this year,” Wood said, nipping ideas of discontinuation and making clear that the program will be reinstated. At the start of H-term, students who qualified for the program were given newly titled “Grille cards,”
Editors’ note on anonymous source policy By ANNA CARROLL ’23 & JASON ZHOU ’23 Co-Editors-in-Chief
The Hill News holds its principle in seeking truth and reporting it, on the premises to protect and minimize harm to our sources. Ethical journalism treats all our sources, subjects, and colleagues as human beings deserving of respect. Per our guidelines, the anonymous quotes in our feature article are essential to the story could not be acquired if they were not under the condition of anonymity and have factual knowledge of the story.
exhibiting an anticipated return of the program. The fourth meal card program officially resumed on December 2 under the revised name. Like their previous incarnation, the new Grille cards continue to have a specified credit relative to student financial need and are refreshed weekly. The cards are intended for use after 5 p.m. until closing and are exclusive to Grille spending. “I like the program and find it impactful because I can get food during the day without asking others to get me a snack or take leftovers from the pantry,” Aryanna Bodge
Aidan’s Christmas Picks It’s a Wonderful Life
By AIDAN MA ’23 VISUAL MANAGEMENT CO-EDITOR
A certified Christmas classic, “It’s a Wonderful Life” tells the story of a downtrodden man who’s given up, before a guardian angel sweeps in shows him just how lucky he really is. This movie truly doesn’t age, and is still one of, if not the best Christmas movie ever made. If you’re looking for a safe watch this holiday season, you can always count on this movie to get you into the Christmas spirit. PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOGLE IMAGES
Wendell & Wild
I’m all for the Jordan Peele-ification of the movie industry, and “Wendell & Wild” is no exception. If “Coraline” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas” (another movie you should put on your holiday watchlist, even for a rewatch) had a lovechild, this would be it. While this one does veer more towards Halloween territory than Christmas, the anti-capitalist sentiments of this movie are always relevant during the holiday season, so if you like your holidays with a dash of gore and not-so-subtle political themes, “Wendell & Wild” is for you.
’23, who agreed to speak on the record about her experiences with the new Grille card. The continued rollout of the Grille card program underscored an important shift in Hill policy. The school over the years highlighted a renewed dedication to addressing equity concerns on campus. The implementation of these initiatives followed the recent opening of the Warner Center for Spiritual Life and Equity during the previous school year. “Where your resources go reflects your priorities,” Wood said.
ILLUSTRATION BY RACHEL HWANG ’25
“The whole school is not in any way, shape, or form like a professional sporting event where some seats are better than others, and you pay more for those better seats.” Baum said. These changes ensure that the administration provides opportunities for all Hill students protecting the Hill experience regardless of financial needs. According to Baum, the school’s continued commitment toward equity, through programs like the Grille card, is “sustenance to the soul of the community.”
It’s that time of year again. The snow is falling, the sky gets dark before 5 p.m., and Mariah Carey is defrosting as we speak. That’s right, it’s the holidays! And if you’re tired of watching “Elf” for the 20th time in a row, there’s a plethora of other Christmas movies available to you, dear reader. From explicitly Christmas-related movies to movies that are filled with the Christmas spirit, these four films should brighten your holidays with merry, cheer, and good feelings—so sit tight, pour some hot chocolate, and put on any of these movies to get yourself into the holiday mood.
KLAUS Who doesn’t love a good Santa Claus origin story? A light-hearted animated movie that can rival the Christmas classics, “Klaus” has all the key elements for a good Christmas movie, and just a good movie in general: character development, lovable heroes, and a satisfying ending. It’s surprisingly good quality for a Netflix original, so give this one a shot. PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOGLE IMAGES
PHOTOS COURTESY OF GOOGLE IMAGES
Tokyo Godfathers
From the director of acclaimed psychological thriller Perfect Blue comes a wildly fun, lighthearted adventure through Tokyo in “Tokyo Godfathers”. A testament to Satoshi Kon’s directorial versatility, this film is heartwarming, funny, and always original. A found family story of a group of homeless misfits who found each other (and the Christmas spirit), watch this if you want to be immersed into a world where miracles do exist and everything turns out all right, in the best way possible.