November 2023 Edition

By Caroline Allen

On October 14th, the senior Class of 2024 hosted the Homecoming semi-formal dance. This was the first dance of the school year. The Homecoming dance followed Homecoming weekend in late September, where sporting events such as boys and girls soccer, cross country, and field hockey were held. Unfortunately, the pep rally was rained out, but the booths definitely made up for it on Saturday.

Prior to the dance, the Homecoming king and queen were crowned, Justin Weeks and Alison Seal, both seniors. Tickets were sold during lunch waves for $10 and $15 at the door. The event was very well attended by students of all grades and many guests. Some memorable artists played include Pitbull, Flo Rida, One Direction, Taylor Swift, and Ke$ha. I especially enjoyed the disco balls hanging from the ceiling of the cafeteria. Overall, it was a successful first dance!

Thank you to the senior class officers: Tori Montagna, Charlie Reeve, Molly Ellison, E.A., the senior class advisor: Ms Fish, and all of the other teacher chaperones!

By Emilia Ciesla

Tens of thousands have died as a result of the Israelis vs Palestinians war, and millions have been displaced. Its past holds the key to its future. As long as this problem is discussed in the media, we will only hear strongly biased opinions. However, you may learn more about the dispute and its background here, from an impartial point of view. 

 With tens of thousands of fatalities and millions of people displaced, the Isreali-Palestinian conflict stems from a colonial crime committed more than a century ago. The world is once again keely focused on what may happen next, with Israel announcing war on the Gaza Strip in response to an unprecedented offensive by the militant Palestinian organization - Hamas. As in many other conflicts we see around the world, such as Russia and Ukraine, we have to acknowledge the fact that there is a long lasting history between these two countries, which many people ignore. Let’s break the history down:

A letter was written by Arthur Balfour, the United Kingdom’s foreign secretary at the time, to Lionel Walter Rothschild, a prominent member of the British Jewish community in November, 1917, which is over a century ago. Despite being brief the letter’s contents had a profound impact on Palestine that is being felt today. The British government was tasked with assisting in the attainment of this goal and the setting up Palestine as a national home for the Jewish people. The Balfour Declaration is the name given to the letter. Essentially, a nation  where more than 90% of the inhabitants were native Palestinian Arabs was offered to the Zionist cause by a European power. Created in 1923, the British Mandate persisted until 1948. During that time, the British faced protests in addition to facilitating large-scale Jewish immigration, since many of the newcomers were escaping Nazism in Europe. The shifting demography of their nation and the British seizure of Palestinian territory to be given to Jewish settlers worried the Palestinians. An increase in hostility ultimately resulted in the 1936-1939 Arab Revolt. In an effort to protest Jewish immigration and British colonialism, the newly established Arab National Committee, which called on Palestinians to go on a national strike, stop paying taxes, and stop buying Jewish goods in the spring of ‘36. The British violently put an end to the strike that lasted around 6 months. They conducted severe home demolitions and a campaign focusing on mass arrest, which in fact Israel still does against Palestinians as of today. Peasant resistance of the Palestine organization spearheaded the second phase of the upbringing, which started in 1937 and was directed against British soldiers and colonialism. In the latter part of 1939, around 30,000 British troops had been gathered in Palestine. Air strikes destroyed homes, curfews were implemented, small towns were bombarded, and summary executions and administrative detentions were commonplace. In parallel, the British worked with the Jewish settlers to establish military organizations including the Special Night Squads, a Jewish fighter force under British leadership that served as a main force. In order to strengthen the group, the Jewish militia that eventually became the backbone of the Israeli army, firearms were surreptitiously smuggled and weapon factories were constructed in Yishuv, which was the pre-state settlement population. During the three-year uprising, there were five thousand Palestinian deaths, fifteen thousand injuries, and five thousand arrests. 

Despite owning only 6% of the land, the Jewish population in Palestine had skyrocketed to 33% by 1947. Resolution 181, which demanded that Palestine would be divided into Arab and Jewish nations, was accepted by the United Nations. The proposal was rejected by the Palestinians because it gave the Jewish state about 55% of Palestine, including the majority of the rich coastline region. At that time about 67% of the population of historic Palestine was made up of Palestinians, who also possessed 94% of the entire territory.

By Sawyer Willet

Project CLIMB is an ongoing outing club within the school district. It has been around for many decades and focuses on challenging participant’s limits in mind and body while building strong relationships and making memories.

 Recently, from October 24-26th, we went on a trip to Carter Notch hut in the White Mountains. The first day was spent on the 3.8 mile hike up to the cozy cabins. Once there, the group had a lot of time to hang out in the main hut. Games, conversations, and guitar songs kept the cabin lively. Groups of students worked together throughout the trip to make great meals. The next day, many people woke up early to watch the stunning sunrise beyond the boulder fields of the ramparts. Later that day, we climbed the steep Wildcat A, which overlooked the cabins. After we got back, we explored the Ramparts, the huge boulder field next to the cabins. On this trip, many newcomers joined and tried their hand at the Project CLIMB experience. 

“CLIMB is a really good opportunity to meet new people, it's truly a lot of fun even if you don't necessarily enjoy that type of thing. It's a really great group of people that are super easy to bond with, it was definitely the best possible first trip experience.” - Elizabeth Baugman, junior. 

“I think that CLIMB is a super duper cool experience!! So many pretty views.” - L. M., freshman.

CLIMB allows for students from all grades to connect as one big group alongside great advisors to make for amazing and unforgettable experiences.

By Makenna Ellis

The  Warner Fall Foliage Festival took place on the weekend of October 6th-October 8th. Like every year, the festival was a great time for family and friends. I went every day. To help the community, I volunteered for the information booth and sold raffle tickets. My parents also volunteered by selling raffle tickets, and they were highly competitive. 

My shift for the information booth was early in the morning, so there was next to no one there, but the few times someone did come up to ask a question, it was delightful, and everyone was so lovely. The adults training the volunteers were kind,  patient, and always incredibly helpful. I got excited when someone would come up to me to ask a question because I would feel proud of myself when they walked away. 

The Fall Foliage is always tremendously thrilling because of the different sounds and smells. I still see fairs like this one through the eyes of a child, and all I see are fun rides and yummy food that I usually wouldn’t be allowed to eat that much, like the fried Oreos. I love hearing all the little kids' laughter and them begging their parents to take them on more rides when the parents are probably way too tired to go on one more spinning ride. 

The floats during the parade on the 8th might’ve been my favorite part of the weekend. My personal favorite was the float Abby Gusakov’s family and friends did of their portrayal of The Lion King. They all wore fantastic masks, and Abby even rode in on a horse.

To get a better idea of what it was like, I asked some of my friends who live in Warner their opinions on the Fall Foliage this year. Juliet Faria, a sophomore, said, “I had a lot of fun shopping around the different tents set up, and it was fun trying all the different foods around.” Eden LeBlanc said, “Despite the rain on Saturday, it was so fun walking around and seeing all the cool items from the vendors.”

By Bonita Zorrilla

At Homecoming this year, the Prom Committee decided to have a booth called “Pops for Prom”. We made popcorn with various toppings including candy, chocolate and seasonings. We also made strawberry, vanilla and chocolate cake pops. Overall, we made about $400 that will help us to have an amazing prom this year! A special thank you to Alison S., Gabby L., Lexi L., Sarah H., Gia C., Francie R., Arianna S., Harley S., Calvin S., and of course, Mrs. Schrader who  put everything together for an amazing start to the school year!

By E.C.

The experience-based subjects of study offered by ELOs at our school range from becoming an LNA to developing advocacy skills. Kearsarge Regional High School provides a variety of activities known as ELOs, or Extended Learning Opportunities. The ELO coordinators, Mrs. Hemingway and Mrs. Leslie, are the people you may register with for any of the programs. You may thoroughly broaden your knowledge in a variety of areas of interest, where experience is the primary teacher!

Any student may take advantage of those chances; there are no prerequisites—all that is needed is a desire to study and active involvement in the programs! You may also create your own ELO where you study alone and increase your knowledge, but in order to do so, you need a mentor who will support you along the way. 

Given how stressful grades may be, I believe that the Pass/Fail options offered in the ELOs that I personally participated in should draw in a large number of participants.

I participated in two ELO programs that our coordinators offered, and I find attending the workshops to be really energizing With a look at my Leaders in Advocacy ELO, I feel like I can participate fully in conversations about voting, our democracy, the NH legislative process, and most importantly, how to advocate for yourself and for others. My second program of choice is Tissue Regeneration ELO, where eight of us pay a visit to BioFab in Manchester to study tissue regenerative medicine. In addition to doing labs and attending highly fascinating talks about the regenerative process, we mostly work in groups—a crucial ability to acquire throughout high school. 

Last but not least, as mentioned before there are personal ELOs, where you create the curriculum on your own with the assistance of coordinators. For example, I created my own ELO, International Biochemistry, where I finished my internship at the Center of New Technologies in Warsaw. I studied a variety of subjects related to biology and chemistry and gained experience working as a professional researcher. There were no tests involved in my final project, however I had to write  a research essay and make a  presentation. It is, in my opinion, a really fantastic method to achieve your new social skills, new learning abilities and expand your field of study. Who knows, maybe a new ELO will help you find what you want to do in the future!

By Emilia Ciesla

As we jump to the winter season soon, we should briefly discuss what has caught the media’s attention in fashion. What can we spot on the street or what can we see the “it girls” of 2023 wearing this fall is the important question. 

                 Long Denim Skirts 

You either hate them or you love them - no in between. All types of striped shirts were worn with knew-too maxi- length denim skirts at the spring of 2024 ready-to-wear fashion shows. This effortlessly stylish look pairs well with loafers, wacky sneakers, or the  ballerina flats - which are all the rage right now. You’ll appear put together and stylish no matter how you wear this ensemble. 

                                   Ballerina Flats 

If you’re not quite ready to wear boots every day and you don’t like polarizing shoe trends, it might be time to take a look at the coolest shoe right now - ballerina flats. The greatest flats for women are unbelievably comfortable and easy to wear, especially when they have a ruched, slip-on style or simply the italian leather flats. Both of these comfort-first styles fit the foot like a glove, so office workers may choose to throw them into a tote bag as a stylish alternative. Do not classify them as commuter shoes… even if they’re ideal for on-the-go situations. There  are a ton of alternatives that are well detailed!

Birkenstock Clogs 

The Boston Clogs from Birkenstock are the 2022 version of platform Uggs, you can spot them in every corner, they seem to be extra popular around guys lately - even at Kearsarge Regional. For the seventh consecutive quarter, the backless loafers- which have soft, molded footbeds that complement the German footwear giant’s ergonomic design philosophy - have been listed among new best selling products. Though Vittons’ handbags come and go, the Bostons have remained steadfast, there is a shortage of Birkenstocks and buyers are paying up to twice as much for pairs on second hand websites. 

                              Capsule closet

What even is a capsule closet? A capsule wardrobe is a simple assortment of items that may be combined in various ways to accommodate a range of looks and events. The goal is to not accumulate too many clothes but to always have something to wear. Seems environmentally friendly, doesn’t it? 

                    Neutral Palette 

Speaking of capsule wardrobe, one of the goals is to have neutral colors in your closet. As white and black were always the colors that you had to have, there are new requirements for neutrals - now you have to have gray, navy, brown, khaki and some tints. Though it all depends on personal taste, neutrals may definitely be worn together. For instance, high contrast white and black or white and navy look fantastic together and have a crisp and strong contrast. Tan and white might also work well together as a color scheme. Unconventional pairings of neutrals, like black and navy or brown, can also be successful and occasionally show up in high fashion.

By M.E.

Thousands of Taylor Swift fans were disappointed when they couldn’t get tickets to Taylor’s Eras tour. Luckily, Taylor decided to turn it into a movie and release it in theaters so everyone could see it. Unfortunately, I did not get tickets to her Eras tour, so I was thrilled to hear about the movie release. 

Taylor took fans through each era of her music and sang a few songs from each one. She performed music from some eras more than others, and I was excited when she played a substantial number of songs from Folklore, as that is my favorite album.

The movie captured the essence that you were there watching her concert. One of my favorite parts was that the cameras sometimes focused on the audience. With the Eras tour, a big part of that was people coming up with their outfits for the show and making the Taylor Swift friendship bracelets to trade with people. With the era's movie, people resumed doing that - of course, just not as eccentric as the actual concert. 

I’d say the most impressive part of the movie was when it was the Reputation era because it's just so dramatic and bold and different from the other eras. However, I also loved the Folklore part because I loved her bringing the Folklore cabin to life.

Her outfits were inevitably my favorite part because she would quickly change into each one, and they would all be completely different. Her Midnights, Reputation, and Lover outfits were by far the coolest.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this experience, and while in no way will it live up to the actual concert, I’d say it was an excellent idea for the thousands of fans who did not get to attend the Eras concert.