Local/School Events

Winter Carnival 25

by Makenna Ellis

At Kearsarge Regional High School, Winter Carnival week is one famously loved among students. Students unite as a whole in order to win the competition, whether that includes working together on events, cheering, or decorating the hallway. Each day of the week has a dress up day, which allows you to earn points for your grade. At the end of the day there is an event that each grade competes against the other in. 

This year, the dress up days were blue and gold day, surfer vs skier, anything but a backpack day, twin day, and your class color day. For class color day, the freshman are purple, sophomores are orange, juniors are red, and seniors are green. Asking around, I found out what dress up days were people’s favorite. Abby Bradbury and Paige Scott (Juniors) said that their favorite dress up day was twin day, because as juniors, the junior class did black out. Amber Chamberlain (Sophomore) said her favorite day was skier vs. surfer day.

Monday was the talent show where we saw excellent performances by 9 Kearsarge students. 3rd place was Kellen Sullivan, 2nd place was Aniyah Mobley, and 1st place was Elizabeth Upton. Tuesday was dodgeball, where two teams in each grade battled against the other, until one was victorious. Wednesday was tug-of-war where, again, two teams in each grade competed. Since we had extra time that day, we did the finals for tug-of-war Wednesday as well, where the seniors won. Thursday was Dizzy Izzy and the 3 legged race. Dizzy Izzy is an obstacle course where once you get to the end, you have to spin in circles repeatedly, touch 4 circle pads, and then run back to the start. There are typically 4-5 teams from each grade, but only one team can win in the end. With the 3 legged race, two people have to have their legs tied together in the middle, while they run back and forth across the gym. Juliet Faria, a Junior and a member of student council who helped put all this together, said that her favorite event was Dizzy Izzy.

Friday was the finale of all of these events, and the biggest day of Winter Carnival. All of the winning teams or students from the previous week’s events, would compete for the ultimate winner of the event. Starting off with dodgeball, the winning team from each grade on Monday competed against the other. Freshman against sophomore, and junior against senior. It was close, but the juniors won dodgeball, with seniors the runner up. Next up was dizzy izzy, where the seniors won, with sophomores runner up. Then the 3 legged race, where Bragen Kinzer and Jacob Messer (Juniors) won by a long shot. After a week of teamwork and competition, the seniors took first place with 3,785 points! Juniors were in second with 3,163 points, sophomores in third with 2,226 points, and freshmen were in fourth with 1,733 points. Can’t wait to see what next year brings!

Student to Superintendent: An Interview with Our District’s New Leader

by Luna Landers

In a recent interview, I had the opportunity to sit down with Kearsarge Regional School District’s new superintendent, Mr. Fortney, to discuss his transition into the role. As someone who moved from Missouri to take on this leadership position, Mr. Fortney offered valuable insight into the challenges and rewards of leading a new school district, as well as his vision for Kearsarge’s future.

A Midwesterner in New England

One of the first topics we discussed was Mr. Fortney’s transition to New Hampshire. Having lived in the Midwest, moving across the country was a major adjustment—but one that he and his family have embraced.

“It was very important to me, personally, to be living in the school district I was in charge of,” he explained. His commitment to the community was clear from the start, as he relocated his family to Newbury in April of 2024—before officially starting the job. However, finishing up his previous position in Missouri meant temporarily leaving his family behind.

“I moved my family out here at the end of April, and then I had to go back to Missouri to finish up my job out there… and I knew that people were looking out for my family here. And it made it easier for me to be 1,300 miles away from them.”

Despite the initial challenges, the Fortney family has found Kearsarge to be a welcoming new home, and particularly enjoy the outdoor adventures and scenery.

“We still find ourselves pinching ourselves going, ‘Wow, unbelievable.’” 

The family has been enjoying all that New Hampshire has to offer, from the lakes and mountains to the snowy winters. They’ve also discovered some local favorites when it comes to dining.

“Our granddaughter loves to eat at Pizza Chef, and her favorite is the one in Bradford,” he shared. 

Accomplishments and Goals

When asked about a key achievement in his first year,  Mr. Fortney emphasized his commitment to being present in all Kearsarge schools.

“The one thing that I’m consistently proud of is trying to make sure that I’m equally spending time in all of the buildings… I’m not just going to New London because it’s convenient.”

Looking into the future, he and Assistant Superintendent Mr. Bessette have identified three core objectives for their leadership:

1. Developing the “Portrait of an Educator” – Defining the characteristics and objectives for Kearsarge educators.

2. Implementing a facilities plan – Supporting infrastructure in the district.

3. Strengthening the district’s curriculum – With the long-term goal of adding a curriculum director to enhance academic programming.

“Not to say that there aren’t other things that we do,” Mr. Fortney clarified, “but what we agreed to is that if I got nothing else done but those three things, then it’s a grand slam for the year.”

His expectations don’t stop with administrators—he firmly believes in growth at all levels.

“I tell my leadership team all the time: Growth is not an ‘option.’ If you are going to stay here, you are going to grow… because that’s what we want for our students.”

Challenges and Adjustments

No transition comes without challenges, and for Mr. Fortney, adapting to Kearsarge’s structure and community dynamics has been a learning experience. One major difference between his previous district and Kearsarge is the geographic spread.

“Where I came from in Missouri, we had two towns. Now I’ve got seven. And they are significantly more spread out… we’re talking about a district that’s one-third the size of Rhode Island.”

This expanded jurisdiction comes with added complexity, particularly when it comes to understanding the unique needs and cultures of each town. To build strong relationships with local leaders, Mr. Fortney has made it a priority to attend town meetings.

“I’ve been to all seven selectboard meetings… The flavor of a selectboard meeting in Springfield is vastly different from the flavor in Warner.”

As an ‘outsider’, Mr. Fortney tries to see all stakeholders from an unbiased perspective. Not having ties to New Hampshire has meant a bit of a learning curve as he tries to meet the needs of the district, but it has also meant fresh eyes on the concerns of the community. 

Impact on Students

At the heart of Mr. Fortney’s leadership is a focus on students. When asked how he plans to make a direct impact on students’ experiences, his answer was simple: by being present.

“If I have a two or three-hour block in my schedule, I’m in buildings. That’s how I get involved, is by being around kids.”

He showed his commitment to visibility early on, meeting with the Kearsarge Regional High School Student Council during the 2023-2024 school year before his onboarding. He has continued to show interest in the student body, and has been seen at lunch duty and student council meetings.

Technology in Classrooms

When asked about his perspective on technology in classrooms, Mr. Fortney acknowledged that technology isn’t going away, but maintains that is should only be one tool in a learner’s arsenal.

“All the research tells you that the most important thing for student learning is the quality of the adult in front of the classroom working with those kids.”

Today’s learner is much different from a learner in years past, and what Kearsarge expects from its students should reflect that change.

“You don’t have to remember who fought in the War of 1812, because you can ask Siri… What we need you to do is [ask] how do we apply those things? It’s application.”

Looking Ahead

When asked what surprised him most about our district, Mr. Fortney offered a positive observation, and an area for growth.

 “A pleasant surprise has been the quality of people, top to bottom, that I get to work with every day… I will tell you, a thing that we deal with… there’s a level of defensiveness that we need to work through… like, just because we say things aren’t effective now, doesn’t mean that they weren’t at the time. My job is to look at the longevity… and that comes back to our ability to have tough conversations.”

With a focus on growth and connection, he is looking to build a bright future for staff, students, and members of the Kearsarge Community.

Project CLIMB

by Sawyer Willett

At Kearsarge Regional High School, there is a unique outing club called Project C.L.I.M.B. This club offers students the opportunity to go on various outdoor trips, including hikes, canoeing, rock climbing, and more. Trips are affordable and inclusive to anyone who wants to participate, with all the proper gear available to borrow. The name C.L.I.M.B stands for challenging limits in mind and body, which participants are encouraged to do. These trips take place during the school year, and a lot of them are two night, weekend trips that take place at one of the huts in the white mountains. Since most of these hut trips happen during the cold winter months, and are at the ends of strenuous hikes far away from the road, everyone must be well prepared and practice safe hiking. Everyone who goes is aided by the multiple amazing advisors who plan and attend the trips. On these trips everyone works together, and lasting relationships are created and strengthened. C.L.I.M.B is overall an amazing program that provides accessibility to incredible outdoor experiences with an environment that promotes building relationships and working together.

Project CLIMB: Zealand Falls Hut Trip

by Layla Morgan

After a long year of CLIMB trips so far, our hikers were challenged with the longest hike that CLIMB offers to students, the Zealand Hut trip! Once we have packed our supplies, established that everything fit into our packs, and loaded up the group food, the group of 19 set out on a two hour bus ride to the trailhead. Though beyond excited for a fun weekend at the hut, everyone was anticipating a long, difficult trek ahead, and their expectations were met. Once the group was unloaded off the bus, snowshoes strapped on to our feet, we started the long hike to our destination. You see, in warmer points throughout the year, our bus could drive up the road about an extra 3 miles, and drop us directly at the trailhead. But in the depth of New England winter, the purposefully unplowed road to the trailhead head is used for snowmobiling. Meaning the hikers needed to walk several hours worth of distance to the trailhead. Luckily this portion of the hike is mainly flat and straight, so we handled the extra miles well! Soon, we made it to the trailhead, and our journey to the hut continued. As the sun set, headlamps were brought out for the remaining miles, and the group pushed forward. And after pushing hard, Project Climb made it to Zealand Hut. That night, appetizers were eaten and enjoyed by the hungry group, and pasta was served, barely a full bowl was in sight by the end of the night. It was then that the group settled into their bunks, to rest up for the upcoming day hike the next day. The next morning, the group rose and nourished themselves with pancakes and eggs, and by a majority vote decided on Z-cliff, the 2 mile excursion for the day hike. And before you knew it, the group was off. And after over an hour of dedicated climbing to the summit, lunch, several group photos, and a beautiful view were celebrated by the hikers. But the descent was the highlight of mine, and many others trip, butt sliding down Z-cliff has been a go to move since last years perfectly packed snow on Zealand. After a long, cold day, everybody huddled around the fire one last time, before our trek home the next day. Pizza, and freshly baked brookies were served that night, and with that Project CLIMB settled in for a final night at the hut. As the sun rose the next morning, just minutes after waking up the crew began packing their bags, and fueling up with bagels and cheese. And just like that, we were off. Many songs, jokes, and dances carried us back to the bus, and as exhausted as the group was at the sight of the main road again, we proudly made our way back to the bus, and back to Kearsarge. This trip is one of my personal favorites, and many others favorite hit by far. It was amazingly fun and nostalgic to be back at Zealand once again! I encourage everybody who can to consider joining us on our trip to Zealand next year. So excited for our upcoming trips!

Funding New Hampshire Public Schools

by Mary Bux

Recently at Kearsarge Regional High School, The Funding Fairness Project hosted an informational meeting on the titular issue of fair funding and taxing in NH public schools. Executive Director of the Funding Fairness Project, Zach Shaheen, spoke alongside John Tobin, Co-Founder, to discuss topics such as the history of taxes and public schools, average spending per public school student, upcoming bills, and what goes into funding a school that provides students with an adequate twenty-first-century education. Community members filled the high school's auditorium, with school members and taxpayers alike, and even Senator Dan Innis appearing, exchanging heated words with other audience members. The informative session encouraged audience members to take action in their communities by: talking to their legislators, testifying on legislation, and sharing content on social media to advocate for better and fairer funding for public schools and taxpayers. 

This meeting followed a record-breaking turnout at Kearsarge Regional High School to vote on budget caps for the district. Over 1,500 people attended the school, where parents, teachers, alumni, and even students like Lilah Bartholomew testified. 

As these issues continue to be brought to light locally at Kearsarge, lawsuits and legislation continue to be heard at both state and federal levels around the topics of public education, like New Hampshire's very own ConVal Lawsuit. In which the ConVal district claimed the state was failing to meet the required constitutional education standards, and since filing in 2019, has had 18 other separate districts join as plaintiffs. Other bills and lawsuits continue to be heard and are regularly addressed by the Funding Fairness Project, which can be found on  their website, fairfundingnh.org

Poetry Out Loud

by Josefina Eliessetch

Lately, people have gotten used to talking to each other through words on a screen rather than in person. The art of the spoken word seems to be on the decline. Talking to someone through texts may be easier, but that alone doesn’t build strong relationships; the words a person says always carry a piece of themselves. A sentence can take on many different meanings depending on the tone of voice, volume, and facial expressions. While today’s youth may not be as interested in public speaking, the art is still alive. One of the ways its heart is kept beating is through Poetry Out Loud (POL), a national organization that has been working to teach high schoolers public speaking skills since 2005 through a competition of poetry recitations. In the competition, students go through different rounds until reaching the final, which only the winner from each state attends. For this national round, each competitor must have three poems memorized and will be judged not only on their memorization abilities but also on their understanding and ability to bring the poem fully to life. 

POL has run at Kearsarge Regional High School (KRHS) for over a decade. The current coordinator is Laura Newman, who has had the position for three years. Before her, it was Lisa Cicoria, who had the role for nine years.

Cicoria remembers a moment when she watched a recitation, and the student’s words took her to the scene, as if the world had melted away and only left the poem standing. “I remember one student years back who had lost her father to cancer, and she recited a beautiful poem about a father and daughter ice skating together,” Cicoria said. “I felt like I was there watching them skate with tears running down my face.”

Sometimes, running POL does not go smoothly, especially because of the weather in New Hampshire. Cicoria explained that the school competitions must occur before February, so if the weather doesn’t cooperate, students may have less time to memorize their second poems for the schoolwide competition.

Organizing the contest was one of the biggest challenges Newman faced. “As a former math teacher, organizing a poetry competition was initially outside my area of expertise,” she stated. Fortunately, though, the NH Council for the Arts provides clear guidelines, and state Poetry Out Loud coordinators offer multiple resources to smooth the process.

Along with the challenges, POL has also brought many highlights; for example, during Cicoria’s tenure, a KRHS student, Charlotte Perkins, was the state champion. “Having the privilege to not only teach her,” Cicoria stated, “but watch her mesmerizing performances through each level of competition was awesome.”

While student participation has fluctuated over the years, particularly among upperclassmen, the event continues to thrive at KRHS. Newman noted that the number of students participating tends to drop as students move into their junior and senior years. With heavy academic loads, jobs, and extracurriculars, it can be hard for students to find time to memorize a poem.

However, Newman pointed out that “the students who volunteer to compete as juniors and seniors have a true passion for poetry.” She added that these students also tended to go far in the competition, such as Lilah Bartholomew, who has been the champion of the school’s competition for the past three years.

As a sophomore, Bartholomew was the state runner-up. Now, as a senior, she has once again won the school competition and will be moving on to the statewide competition.

“I love poetry, but it’s not so much the poems themselves as it’s the connections that they create between people that make POL such a great experience,” Bartholomew said. She added that one of her favorite moments is right after the first round, when people start to relax, brought together by their love for poetry. “[A]t the state contest in my sophomore year, we were all practicing our poems together while we waited,” she added. “It’s just such a supportive environment where everyone is committed to cheering people on and lifting them up.”

However, there are still challenges; even for talented public speakers such as Bartholomew, the competition can be daunting. To prepare for competitions, she tries out different ways to say each poem, experimenting with the tone and volume of her voice. Every little variation has the power to change the meaning of the poem. “It’s easy to second guess yourself, wondering if you mixed up that verse or said that line just the way you practiced it,” Bartholomew said. “I’ve had to practice grounding myself before each poem and just focus on the recitation word by word.” 

Even with these challenges, Bartholomew’s passion for poetry shines through: “Her poetry recitations are emotionally powerful, and if you haven't heard her perform, you should!” said Newman. 

While the art of public speaking seems to be fading in a world of screens and written messages, different moments such as the ones seen in POL prove that it still stands strong. It is more than memorizing a poem—students such as Bartholomew bring the scenes these poets painted to life. On March 14th, Bartholomew will be competing in the state finals at the State House in Concord at 5 p.m. 

Sports

Spring Sports

by Aly Wheeler

Kearsarge spring sports for the year of 2025 are approaching quickly. Sign ups have been sent out and dates for pre seasons have been set. There will be many sports games/meets that anyone can attend. Such as, softball, baseball, lacrosse, tennis, and track. The schedules for the upcoming practices and games will be released when practices officially begin. 

We have many returning coaches this year. Starting with head coach Boucher for the boys varsity lacrosse team. As for the JV team they are being coached by Michael Jensen. The girls varsity lacrosse team is being coached by Katherine Stearns. Varsity softball is being coached by Ed Shaughnessy, while JV is being coached by newcomer Dave Smith. Varsity baseball head coach is Josh Judkins, and the JV coach is Cross Sierra. Boys varsity tennis head coach is Lynn Miller, and JV head coach is Scott West. As for the girls varsity tennis team, that is being coached by Bubba Williams. Lastly, the track and field team is being coached by MaryAnne Morcom and Justin Garzia. 

Make sure you head out and support the Kearsarge Cougars through their spring season! 

Pop Culture/Personal

College Tuition Skyrockets: Rising Costs Impact Student and Families Nationwide

by Bonita Zorrilla

For the past few decades, it’s clear to see that there has been an extreme difference between college tuition costs in our country. Each year, all across the United States, colleges and universities have been raising admission costs, and it’s becoming an increasingly heavy burden on students and their families. There seems to be no slowing down in the price spike and in fact has tripled over the last fifty years. But what exactly has caused this intense increase in tuition in our country? How is this impacting students as a whole? And is there any way to lower it, or at least stop it from getting any worse?

The average cost for students to attend private and public universities in their state of residence is significantly lower than attending a school out of state. The average cost of attending a public college in the U.S is about $11,600 a year, while the cost of attending a private college is about $38,400 a year. To attend a school out of state, whether it be private or public, is approximately $20,000 more a year.  These expenses don’t even cover room and board, books and other college expenses students will need. Overall, it’s usually hundreds of thousands of dollars for students to attend college, even with aid. This is significantly greater than college tuition costs even 25 years ago. In the year 2000, it was about $5,000 a year to attend a public college and about $15,000 to attend a private college. As you can see, prices have more than quadrupled since about two decades ago and it’s created an enormous financial burden for students and their families. Former President Barack Obama once said, "No hardworking young person should be priced out of a higher education.” Unfortunately, that is exactly what’s happening in our country currently. The lingering question now, that Americans want answered, is why exactly have the prices changed so drastically in such a short amount of time? 

There are several key factors contributing to the increasing cost of higher education in our country, one of the most significant being the reduction in state funding for public universities. As states face tighter budgets and competing funding priorities, higher education often takes the hit and universities are forced to raise their tuition cost. Basically, as state funding decreases, college tuition increases. Studies have shown that for every $1,000 decrease in state funding per student, there is about a $257 increase in college tuition cost. It may not seem like a lot, but when put together, it adds up. Another factor contributing to the rise of college tuition costs in our country is the rising cost of college infrastructure and building projects. In recent years, universities have been investing greatly in their campus. They’ve been building new dorms, libraries, gyms and expanding their learning centers, all in an attempt to attract prospective students. According to Higher Ed Dive, investment in existing campus facilities has grown more than 26% since 2023. Though above all, inflation throughout our country’s economy has proven to be the leading cause of college tuition prices rising in the past few decades. Even though there are clear reasons as to why tuition prices have been raised for universities all across America, the question remains: Is there any way for us to stop the price climb? And if so, how?

One of the most distinct ways to reduce tuition costs in the country is to have the federal government, as well as states, increase funding for public universities. As stated earlier, in recent decades, public institutions have been receiving less state funding. As a result of this, universities have been raising the price to attend their schools. Supporters of this act argue that increasing public funding for education would lower the tuition cost while also maintaining the quality of education. Many steps have been taken towards this goal, including states increasing financial aid for students staying in state  and offering free community college programs. Building off this idea, the use of community colleges has been increasing in the fight against this incline in college pricing. Many students are unaware of the many opportunities that attending a community college can get them, and at a rate much more affordable than a private or public college. As aforementioned, free community college programs are being utilized by several programs to get students to attend their schools more. This would make higher education more viable and affordable for students across the country.

The financial strain placed on families by these universities has also led to a rise in student loans, resulting in debt.  In America, the estimated federal student debt balance is about $1.6 trillion, with about $20,000 per citizen that takes out a loan. This is astronomically higher than just two decades earlier, with the student loan debt at the time being $200 billion. It’s estimated to have been raising about $2,900 every second since 2000. Unless they pay the tuition from their pocket or receive a full ride scholarship to their chosen university, almost every student applying to college in America will have to take out a loan. Usually, this debt won’t be paid off for years. The average citizen takes between 10-20 years to pay off their student loans. The burden of loan debt can weigh down students from being able to make important life decisions, like becoming a homeowner or saving money for retirement.

As you can see, it’s clear that the increasing cost of college tuition is a national crisis and the need for action is urgent. Although it’s a tough situation to tackle, it will be worth it for future generations of Americans wishing to go to college at an affordable price. Students won’t have to rely fully on scholarships to get into their dream schools, they won’t have to worry about student loans after college and overall, will help them later on in life. Together, with government help, it’s completely possible to lower college tuition costs in our country and it’s essential for our future; before higher education becomes too expensive for any citizen to afford.