Winter 24-25 Edition of the KRHS Newshub
Embedded Files
Published January 10, 2025
Local/School Events
Local/School Events
CLIMB Trip: Moosilauke
by Layla Morgan
So many exciting updates for C.L.I.M.B. as of recently! A challenging one night hiking trip to Mount Moosilauke took place in mid November. It consisted of a beautiful, yet cold 4 mile day hike. To refuel after the long day, a dinner of sausage and pasta was enjoyed by the group. An even colder night in a choice of tent or log shelter followed. Luckily, everybody was bundled up for the long night! Despite the cold weather, I and most everyone in the group woke up well rested and ready for the day. A breakfast of bagels and oatmeal was a great start to the day as we all prepared to fill up our waters and continue hiking to the summit. After another 3 miles of scenic hiking over rocky terrain, the group reached the incredibly windy but undoubtedly gorgeous peak of Mount Moosilauke. After a group photo and some exploring, the group started our descent down the mountain. After several encounters with dogs, snack breaks, and a number of sing-alongssing alongs we all climbed back onto the bus and made our way home. This trip was such a challenging experience, but also a wonderful bonding experience for the group. I completely recommend signing up for this trip when it comes around next year!
NHS
by Josefina Eliessetch
Picture this: it is late May and spring is in full bloom. The colors of the sky, the flowers, and the butterflies in the air are so vivid that you can feel them. Joyful yellows. Peaceful blues.
The bright sun shines in the sky, making it hard to believe it is already late in the afternoon, almost the evening.
Despite the late time, sophomores and juniors at Kearsarge are making their way back to the high school, the girls in dresses and the boys in crisp white shirts and pants. What are they so dressed up for, you ask?
This day in May isn’t just a regular day: it is the induction ceremony for the National Honor Society (NHS) at Kearsarge Regional High School when those few chosen sophomores and juniors officially join a prestigious society.
The NHS is an organization that encourages excellence in students, having been around for over a century, recognizing students who demonstrate the values of scholarship, service, leadership, and character. The organization is about more than academic excellence— as a society, the NHS seeks to improve the community by pushing highly talented students to reach their full potential.
Every year, talented sophomores and juniors are invited to apply, and only the strongest candidates are selected for the KRHS chapter. Together with our chapter’s advisor, the NHS members will work to improve the community both within and outside of the school setting.
In recent years, there has been constant turnover in the advisor position, but this year’s advisor, Lisa Cicoria, hopes to bring more continuity to the organization. Cicoria stated, “I believe wholeheartedly in the four pillars of this organization.” She has been involved with the NHS since high school, when she was vice president of her school’s chapter. Under her guidance, current NHS members have more independence, being divided into different committees for the many planned events, allowing for more to be accomplished at once.
However, none of it would be possible without strong officers in the chapter; this year, they are Kira Gauntt (president), Leah Stone (vice president), Jacob Messer (secretary), Liam Zielinski (treasurer), Jack Cicoria (parliamentarian), and Brannon Wieters (public relations). Gauntt and Cicoria are both returning NHS members, while Stone, Messer, Zielinski, and Wieters are new members.
“My focus for this year is to increase both member and non-member involvement in these projects,” Gauntt said. “[W]e have so much opportunity to benefit our community and I want to ensure that our NHS Chapter [can] make an even greater positive impact than we ever have before.”
To accomplish this, the NHS has many events planned for the year. For example, NHS members offer peer tutoring services and volunteer their flex sessions, study halls, and after-school hours. “Through this project,” Stone stated, “we hope to create a connection between our NHS members and all other students [and] community members. Through tutoring, we are able to demonstrate one of our core pillars, scholarship.”
In addition, Lisa Cicoria and the students are doing Trail Clean-Ups along local trails within the community and visiting elementary schools in the district. Cicoria stated that the students will be “[reading] to students and [talking] about the importance of character, integrity, academics, and leadership,” which are the four pillars of the NHS. “We hope to facilitate collaboration between older and younger students within the district,” Stone added.
On top of that, there will be a Valentine’s Day Dance on February 8th, 2025, hosted by the NHS, for all KRHS students to attend.
“Additionally, I’d like to provide more volunteer opportunities within the school for all of our students, not just those who qualify academically for the NHS,” Cicoria stated. NHS members have started reaching out to other students, and in upcoming events, they will be able to volunteer in those events organized by the members of our chapter.
For those in the community who are interested in helping the KRHS chapter, there will be a Blood Drive on March 18th, 2025, and everyone who can is welcome to sign up. Then, there will be a food drive in 2026, for those interested in donating. “Lastly, if there are local organizations looking for volunteers,” Cicoria said, “they may contact me directly, and our organization can provide assistance outside of the school walls.”
Only those who chose to go above and beyond joined the NHS on that warm evening in May. Between these students and their incredible advisors, the KRHS chapter is bound to have its best year yet.
Sports
Sports
Wrestling
by Aly Wheeler
On December 11th, the Kearsarge boys Wrestling team was defeated by Winnisquam High School. The final score of the meet was 6-74. The only scoring person for the Cougars was Junior, Gage Richards. He had an amazing pin in the first round. The wrestling team is being coached by Riley Moskalenko, once again. On December 18th, they had an away meet against John Stark and Campbell. Kearsarge won against Campbell, but lost against John Stark;, both were extremely close matches. The Cougars have started off their season on the right foot.
Worldwide Events
Climate Change: Makenna
by Makenna Ellis
Animals have always been one of my favorite aspects of Earth. I am fascinated by the variety of species and the effort to understand their lives. Unfortunately, with each passing year, many species are nearing extinction. Currently, there are about 16,000 endangered species. The two most significant causes of this are human interference and climate change.
Polar bears in the North Pole have been suffering for years. Due to climate change, their habitat is being destroyed because the ice continues to melt. One article says that “Tthe polar bear has become the poster child for the growing threat of climate change” (McGrath). Polar bears use ice to hunt seals - their primary source of food - but they can no longer do this, given the fact that almost all the ice is gone. They’ve had to switch to berries and grass. There was a study done whose basis was to follow 20 polar bears over 3 years so that researchers could study their appetite and movements. However, the study was unsuccessful because 19/20 of the polar bears lost up to 11% of their body mass. Polar bears are not the only species that sadly suffer from climate change.
As a result of human activity, tigers have lost around 95% of their habitat. Humans have been demolishing their forests for cultivation, road networks, and other laboratory activities. Tigers tend to be territorial animals and find living in a small environment very difficult. This leads to tigers attempting to travel outside of where they typically live, which then makes them more susceptible to poaching. Climate change could also cause a decrease in tigers' habitat. Tigers commonly live in the Sundarbans, but rising sea levels threaten to harm the tiger's environment. A study done by WWF shows that “without mitigation efforts, projected sea-level rise—about a foot by 2070—could destroy nearly the entire Sundarbans tiger habitat” (World WildLife).
There are thousands of species currently endangered, but in my opinion, polar bears and tigers are some of the saddest examples. Growing up, these two animals were always among my favorites, and it saddens me to think that they may one day no longer exist on Earth. Humans must take action to stop the destruction of animal habitats and recognize the value of wildlife. Climate change will only worsen if we don’t improve our care for the planet.
College Stress for Seniors
by Bonita Zorrilla
As soon as you enter high school, you immediately start planning and focusing on your future and what’s to come next in your life. For us, the class of 2025, we’ve been especially focused on our future for the past six months, since this school year started. Why? Because senior year is the year where you begin applying to colleges and deciding what you want to do for the next four years of your life. And for most of us, choosing our college is the most stressful thing we have to go through all year.
Finding healthy ways to cope with this stress is very important for both your body and your mental health. First, we have to figure out the cause of this stress in the first place. Are you worried about where you’re going to go to school? Visiting potential schools? Choosing between two schools? Financial Aid? How to apply? Waiting to hear back from schools? The entire process itself is extremely tiresome and anxiety inducing. And it can be a lot of added stress onto all of the things you already have going on: school, jobs, extracurriculars, volunteering and everything else going on during your last year of high school.
So, how exactly are you supposed to cope with all of this increasing stress while also maintaining a healthy balance in your life?
Make sure that you have a support system. You should always allow friends and family to be by your side in this difficult time. Just being with people that care about you can help a lot with the anxiety and stress.
Know that whatever happens, happens! You’ve already sent all of your college applications out and now you just have to wait for a reply. Know that anything that happens from now to their decision is out of your control.
Make time for yourself. Always remember to not overload yourself with work and stress and to allow time to relax and do things that you enjoy.
Focus on school. Even though it’s important to also take time for yourself, you need to still stay up to date on your school work so you don’t get overwhelmed.
Take Action. Make sure everything is going well with your application and there’s nothing missing from it that might delay your decision.
Local Cold Case Reopened?
by Anonymous
Having lived in the same town, in New Hampshire for my entire life, I was taken aback, after learning that a notorious serial killer had been very active in multiple towns, not even a half hour from my own. I wasn’t even aware of their existence until somewhat recently. Naturally, my interest was piqued, and I immediately decided to look further into the topic. As I soon discovered, these tragedies began nearly fifty years ago, but they are still very much prevalent, to this day. Around the time that I first learned of this serial killer, the news began to come out that the Connecticut River Valley Killer case was “back in the spotlight.” This was during the summer of 2024. Headlines stating that the FBI was seen at a house in Newport, and rumors that it was related to the case were confirmed, as the cold case began to resurface amongst the community, and clearly, law enforcement. The Connecticut River Valley Killer was responsible for the murders of at least seven women, between 1978 and 1988, with multiple other local unsolved cases being considered as possibly related. After listening to a multitude of podcasts solely dedicated to this case, I found out that in 1988, a woman named Jane Borowski survived an attack by the killer. She is the only known survivor. At the time, she was seven months pregnant, and so she fought back, not only for her own life, but for the life of her unborn child. The killer has never been caught, despite various suspects being considered, and questioned for the murders. The seven women whose lives were tragically taken are Catherine Millican, Mary Elizabeth Critchley, Bernice Courtemanche, Ellen Ruth Fried, Eva Marie Morse, Lynda Moore, and Barbara Agnew. With the possibility of new evidence, due to the reopening of the investigation, we can only hope that it will bring to light the killer, and provide the victims’ families and friends with a sense of finality, justice, and perhaps eventual peace.
Pop Culture/Personal
Album Review: TTPD by Taylor Swift
by Anonymous
The Tortured Poets Department is the 11th album by critically acclaimed artist Taylor Swift. Released on April 19th, 2024, it held number one on the Billboard charts for 15 consecutive weeks and sold 2.6 million units in its first week. It was somewhat well received by critics, with a pitchfork score of 6.6 and a Metacritic review of 76. It earned nominations for five Grammy awards in the 2025 award season. But enough about the statistics. I want to talk about fan reception and my opinion on the album.
With its release came an influx of fan opinion regarding the main album and its counterpart, The Anthology. An anthology is a collection of poems or songs issued in one album. This was a unique thing; most artists release a double album on separate days, but Swift chose to release both albums in one day. Some critics believe she wanted to double the chart success, and others say it was an artistic choice to publish the surprise album.
The first album is filled with slow synth-pop melodies and some cringe-worthy lyrics. The album's title track holds this lyric: "I scratch your head, you fall asleep, like a tattooed golden retriever" in the second verse of an otherwise fantastic song. Knowing Swift, she usually will fill a song with poetic lyrics that speak to her audience. However, some of her lyricism in the first album feels like someone trying to be edgy and different. We know her signature poetic lyrics, and these lyrics are amazing and hit differently each time you listen.
As the release progressed, fans expected an album about Swift's 6-year relationship with Joe Alwyn, which ended in April 2023. However, the album details a decades-long situation with famed singer Matty Healy. In songs like But Daddy I Love Him, The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived, and the title track. Swift explores the feelings that come along with a "situationship" with a tortured poet. In the song Smallest Man Who Ever Lived she sings about how he "hung her on a wall, stabbed [her] with [his] pushpins" and "In public, showed [her] off, Then sank into stoned oblivion." This is an emotionally crushing thing to go through, and the way she writes it makes the listener feel like they are listening to a fight between the couple. And what amplifies this feeling is her vocal delivery.
Although some songs remain ambiguous about whom they are about, one of my favorites from the album is "So Long, London." This is an ode to London as a city and a symbolic goodbye to either of her British boyfriends. The synth-pop combined with poetic lyricism creates a beautiful song that captures the listener's emotions. This song makes me feel like I have experienced what she is going through, making Taylor Swift a fantastic artist.
Now, I want to discuss The Anthology; this album stands out. She combines her lyricism with jaw-dropping instrumentals and vocals. The content of this album contains details of three of her most current relationships. The album is titled The Anthology because it is a collection of songs that have minimal relation to each other (this is the artistic choice I discussed in the introduction). Some songs borrow from Folklore and Evermore because they are about fictional characters.
My favorite song on this album is the fifth track. How did it end? Which details her relationship with her fans and the public after a breakup. The song starts by depicting the funeral of a relationship but from the perspective of the public eye, dissecting who this relationship was with. Throughout the song, the question How did it end is posed; she frames the whole affair from the lens of suburban life: "Soon, they'll go home to their husbands Smug 'cause they know they can trust him.” This line discusses other women who will talk about their relationships. They can trust their husbands not to cheat on them, which suggests infidelity between Taylor and her partner. Through her vocal delivery, this song makes the listener feel Taylor's distress regarding the situation.
The songs that borrow from Folklore and Evermore include the Albatross and Peter. Both of these songs portray fictional characters and tell an amazing story. Swift uses the Albatross to tell a story about revenge, which could be interpreted as her “revenge” against her nemeses. In classic literature the albatross symbolizes a burden. Swift displays her desire to be a burden upon those who have wronged her in the past.
I would give this album a six out of ten. I would like to see more of the writing she used on the Anthology, the writing came from a deep place in her mind. Other albums we see this type of writing are Red and the Folklore/ Evermore duology. I consider this album to be a sister album to her 2022 release Midnights. The way she processes emotions in the two albums is similar to me. My standout track off of the first album is My Boy Only Breaks his Favorite Toys, And off the Anthology my favorite track is Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus.
A Review of The Poppy Wars Trilogy
by Luna Landers
The Poppy War Trilogy by RF Kuang is a wartime fantasy series following our main character, Fang Runin, known by her nickname, Rin. She is an orphan, and the ward of the Fangs, who are opium traders in the rural Rooster Province of Nikara. She is overworked and neglected by her foster parents, and this mistreatment comes to a head when they promise her hand in marriage to a much older tradesmen as part of a business agreement. Determined to avoid marriage, Rin enlists the help of a local tutor, studying overnight and forgoing sleep to pass the Keju. This test, if passed, gives students entry into elite military and academic institutions. Rin, through her determination, obtains one of the highest scores, and is sent to the capital of Nikara for military training. From the first book, Rin is characterized by her intensity, brutality, and unwavering commitment to success. Throughout the series, Rin becomes more and more powerful, and we as readers are forced to question whether Rin is a hero or a monster. Kuang, a talented writer, uses Rin’s relatively narrow point of view to take us through the horrors of a country at war, and manipulates our perspective to help us empathize with cruel and ruthless characters.
Kuang’s work is underpinned by poignant and detailed historical elements, as she takes details and inspiration from the Sino-Japanese war and Western imperialism. For example, Rin’s home of Nikara is based on China, and the neighboring Federation of Mugen mirrors Japan. The decimated isle of Speer represents Taiwan. To the north, the Hinterland tribes are inspired by Mongolian and Russian nomads, and the far-away, monotheistic Hesperia symbolizes imperialist western nations. Kuang’s method of world-building, infusing a fantastical world with gritty historical details gives it a plausibility unparalleled by most fantasy authors. The politics of the world are intricate yet understandable, and it is as a result of Kuang’s diligence and attention to detail.
In addition to her talent for world-building, Kuang demonstrates her skill at characterization through our main character, Rin. Rin is an anti-hero, an unreliable narrator, and, as the series progresses, potentially insane. Kuang balances the turmoil of Rin’s perspective with enough clarity and feedback from external sources to allow us to root for Rin, while also observing how problematic she is, and questioning whether she truly deserves to win. Through one troubled and downtrodden girl, Kuang explores the psychology of power, the horrors of combat, and the corrupting force of religion. Against the backdrop of war, Kuang fleshes out the full range of human emotions for her readers.
For me, this entire series was five stars. I would recommend it for fans of political fantasy, character-driven plots, and unreliable narration. Kuang corners the market for social commentary within fantasy, and her writing skills are on full display through her pacing, character development, and the overall themes present within The Poppy War trilogy.
Album Review: Charm by Clairo
by Felicity Kane
Claire Cotrill’s third studio album Charm, which is likely a play on “third times a charm”, was released July 12, 2024 and grew very popular, very quickly and is now nominated for a Grammy. She had two previous releases, Immunity, a very popular album with charted songs such as “Sofia” and “Bags”, and Sling, which was not as popular but one of her most impressive pieces of work. In this most recent album, you can tell how much she has matured as a singer/songwriter. Claire has always been very impressive with her deep and meaningful lyrics that many can relate to and make their own while using influences from the 70’s and early jazz. Some of her now most popular songs “Juna” and “Sexy to Someone” came from this album which truly shows just how impressive this album was. Charm is arguably her best album yet and I am excited to uncover the true artistry behind it.
The album begins with “I’d run the risk of losing everything, so all my things, become nomadic.” from the opening track “Nomad”. This album explores the many challenges of love and attachment through the eyes of Claire Cotrill (Clairo). The dreamy jazz-like instrumentals mixed with her soft but powerful voice make this album almost addicting. My favorite songs include but are not limited to “Slow Dance”, “Add Up My Love” and “Echo”, which follow Claire’s journey of love. Along with ideas of love, there are also many interpretations of freedom, and what it means to be free, seen in “Terrapin”. From her previous albums, it is clear that Claire has a great perception of musical balances and organizations. From her inclusions of the clarinet and flute, to the piano piece in “Terrapin”, and the unexpected tempo and chord progressions in “Thank You”, Claire did an amazing job of showing the listener just what she could do. All of the songs on this album are unique and brilliant in their own way and It will forever be one of my favorite albums.
❄️ Winter Playlist ❄️
Looking for some song recs for the chilly holiday season? Here's some of the best to add to your own winter playlist!:
-Can't Catch Me Now by Olivia Rodrigo
- River by Joni Mitchell
- I Know the End by Phoebe Bridgers
- Silent Night and 8'oclock News by Phoebe Bridgers
- Escapism by Raye
- Halah by Mazzy Star
- The Night We Met by Lord Huron ft Phoebe Bridgers
- The Scientist by Coldplay
- too young to be old by Jax
-Touch the Sky by Kanye west
-Blue light by Mazzy Star
-Never Meant by American Football
- I know it won't work by Gracie Abrams
- Back to December by Taylor Swift
- Last Christmas by Wham!
- Snowman by Sia
- Nothing's Gonna Hurt You Baby by CAS
- Silver Springs by Fleetwood Mac
- White Ferrari by Frank Ocean
- Every Breath You Take by The Police
☆
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